Scientific Areas of Expertise: Breast Cancer Profiling, Genomics, Molecular Genetics
For seminal research contributions involving breast cancer, DNA damage and repair, and the identification of molecular profiles that contribute to cancer risk, tumor staging, and therapy resistance led by conducting extensive gene expression profiling of breast carcinomas.
A world-renowned cancer geneticist, Dr. Børresen-Dale is celebrated for her research that established the molecular taxonomy of breast cancer and linked inherited susceptibility, DNA damage, and somatic gene change to clinical behavior. Using high-dimensional profiling across DNA copy-number, gene expression, and proteomic layers, she helped define the intrinsic breast cancer subtypes and demonstrated that these biology-based classes better predict outcome and therapy response than histopathology alone. Her integrative analyses showed how DNA copy-number alteration drive transcriptional programs, clarified the roles of TP53 and DNA-repair defects in tumor evolution, and illuminated mechanisms of endocrine and HER2-targeted therapy resistance. Additionally, Dr. Børresen-Dale’s population-genetic studies identified and validated germline susceptibility variants and intermediate phenotypes, such as radiation sensitivity and normal tissue toxicity, that bridged germline risk and tumor phenotype to refine assessment, surveillance, and prevention. Collectively, these contributions created the bases for molecular stratification in breast oncology and set standards for how multi-omic data can guide diagnosis and clinical trial design.
Building on this foundation, Børresen-Dale has continued to lead efforts to connect tumor ecosystems to patient outcomes by integrating transcriptomic, copy-number, phospho-proteomic, and microenvironmental features to model disease trajectories from predisposition through progression. Her group has determined predictive signatures for therapy benefit and resistance and clarified how DNA-repair pathway alterations can shape mutational processes and treatment outcomes. Dr. Børresen-Dale’s research has translated complex molecular data into clinically actionable stratifications that have enabled smarter trial eligibility, risk-adapted treatment, and precision prevention. Her conceptual frameworks, multi-omic maps, and population-genetic insights continue to advance how the field understands the interplay of germline risk, genome instability, and tumor biology in breast cancer
Selected Awards and Honors
2017 AACR-Women in Cancer Research Charlotte Friend Memorial Lectureship and Award, American Association for Cancer Research, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
2017 Commander of the Royal Norwegian St. Olavs Order, King of Norway, Oslo, Norway
2015 AACR Distinguished Lectureship in Breast Cancer Research, American Association for Cancer Research, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
2015 Fritjof Nansen Prize for Outstanding Research, Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, Oslo, Norway
2014 Helmholtz International Fellow Award, German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Berlin, Germany
2010 Honorary Ambassador, Norwegian Cancer Society, Oslo, Norway
2009 Elected Member, European Academy of Cancer Sciences, Stockholm, Sweden
2009 Honorary Member, European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, Brussels
Belgium
2008 Möbius Prize for Outstanding Research, Research Council of Norway, Oslo, Norway
2008 Doctor Medicinae Honoris Causa, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
2004 Elected Member, Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, Oslo, Norway
2002 Nordic Medical Prize for Outstanding Research in Tumor Biology, SalusAnsvar and Ulf Nilsonnes Foundation for Medical Research, Stockholm, Sweden
2001 Honorary Member, Norwegian Biochemical Society, Oslo, Norway
1998 Elected Member, Royal Academy of Science, Oslo, Norway
[Institutional affiliations listed for Fellows reflect those held at the time of their induction into the AACR Academy.]