Left to right: Douglas Graham, MD, PhD, Suresh Ramalingam, MD, Biplab Dasgupta, PhD, MBA, Gráinne Owen and Clay Owen.
Dr. Dasgupta speaking to Gráinne Owen during the reception.
Biplab Dasgupta, PhD, MBA, professor of pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine, has been named the inaugural Killian Owen Distinguished Professor for Pediatric Cancer. One of the institution’s highest honors, distinguished professorships recognize exceptional faculty achievement and provide an enduring investment in Emory’s academic and research community.
Recognized for his groundbreaking work in glioblastoma signaling and metabolism, Dasgupta is a co-leader of the Translational Cancer Metabolism Initiative and member of the Cell and Molecular Biology Research Program at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University. He is also a faculty member with the Neuro-Oncology Program at the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
The professorship is made possible through a $2 million commitment from Curing Kids Cancer named for Killian Owen, who passed away from acute lymphocytic leukemia at nine years old. His parents, Gráinne and Clay Owen, founded Curing Kids Cancer in 2005 to celebrate Killian’s life and improve outcomes for children with cancer. Matching support from Emory’s Faculty Eminence Initiative brings the total to $3 million.
“In Killian’s memory, Curing Kids Cancer is committed to funding innovative cancer research that saves lives,” says Gráinne Owen. “We are proud to support researchers like Dr. Dasgupta, whose discoveries offer hope to families facing pediatric cancer,” adds Clay Owen.
During a recent ceremony, the Owens presented the gift to Dasgupta alongside colleagues including Suresh S. Ramalingam, MD, FACP, FASCO, Winship’s executive director, and Douglas K. Graham, MD, PhD, chief of the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
“We are deeply grateful to Curing Kids Cancer and moved by the special meaning behind this professorship honoring Killian,” says Ramalingam, professor of hematology and medical oncology at Emory University School of Medicine and the Roberto C. Goizueta Distinguished Chair for Cancer Research. “This gift is a profound tribute, and one that will impact lives and inspire hope for years to come.”
Curing Kids Cancer has been a longstanding partner of Winship and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta over the years, funding several endowed positions and high-impact research projects.
“This generous endowment reflects a shared commitment to advancing cancer research and supporting outstanding faculty,” says Graham, professor of pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine and the William G. Woods, MD Chair at the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center. “Dr. Dasgupta’s pioneering work exemplifies the innovation and dedication that drive progress toward new therapeutic approaches to childhood cancer.”
The recipient of numerous grants and awards, Dasgupta leads a research team investigating the biological mechanisms driving cancer development and progression. His lab uses innovative techniques to identify novel therapeutic targets for aggressive brain tumors and to understand how environmental and non-genetic factors influence cancer risk.
“On behalf of my trainees, collaborators and the families whose children inspire our work every day, I want to express my deep gratitude to the Owen family for their extraordinary generosity,” says Dasgupta. “Your gift represents time, trust and the freedom to pursue high-risk, high-reward ideas to treat childhood brain tumors that wouldn’t be possible otherwise.”
