Prof. John Carethers | Proteomics | Best Researcher Award

Prof. John Carethers | Proteomics | Best Researcher Award

Dr. John M. Carethers is an esteemed physician-scientist and healthcare leader currently serving as Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences at the University of California San Diego. He is also a Distinguished Professor of Medicine and an Adjunct Professor in Public Health. With a strong clinical and academic background in gastroenterology and internal medicine, Dr. Carethers is widely recognized for his research in colorectal cancer, tumor genetics, and health disparities. He has held numerous leadership roles and contributed significantly to national medical organizations. His dedication to mentoring, research, and equitable healthcare continues to shape the future of medical science and education.

UC San Diego | United States

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Education and Training

Dr. John M. Carethers began his academic journey at Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, where he earned a B.S. in Biological Sciences with a minor in Chemistry (1981–1985). He continued at Wayne State University School of Medicine, graduating with High Distinction with an M.D. in 1989. He then completed an Internship (1989–1990) and Residency (1990–1992) in Internal Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston under the leadership of Dr. John T. Potts. Dr. Carethers pursued a Fellowship in Gastroenterology at the University of Michigan Medical Center from 1992 to 1995 and simultaneously engaged in postdoctoral research training under Dr. Stephen J. Weiss. From 1993 to 1995, he worked as a research-track fellow in the laboratory of Dr. C. Richard Boland, focusing on the genetics and mechanisms of cell death in colon cancer. He further expanded his leadership skills through several executive programs, including the AAIM Executive Leadership Program at Harvard (2005), UCSD Physician Leadership Academy (2007–2009), AAMC Council of Deans Fellowship (2015–2016), and the Big Ten Academic Alliance Leadership Program (2018–2019).

Research Interests

Dr. Carethers is internationally recognized for his work in colorectal cancer research. His areas of expertise include mechanisms of tumor progression, tumor genetics, and tumor markers. He has conducted extensive studies on DNA mismatch repair, molecular pathology, and microsatellite instability. His work also addresses familial cancer syndromes, disparities in colorectal cancer outcomes among minority populations, and strategies to improve colorectal cancer screening—especially in early-onset cases.

Honors and Awards

Dr. Carethers has received numerous prestigious awards and honors throughout his career. Notably, in 2023, he was the Commencement Keynote Speaker at Stonybrook University Renaissance School of Medicine and was honored with the naming of the “John Carethers, MD Conference Room” at the University of Michigan. He was elected Vice-President of the American Clinical and Climatological Association (ACCA) and became a member of the Blue Ridge Academic Health Group (BRAHG). In 2024, he was inducted as a Fellow of the American Association for Cancer Research (FAACR) and received the Recognition Award at the 10th Annual Cancer Health Disparities Symposium hosted by SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University.

Memberships and Professional Activities

Dr. Carethers is deeply involved in academic leadership and professional mentoring. He has served as a mentor for Research Scholar Awardees from the University of Kansas and Duke University. He was part of the AGA’s DDW Abstract Review panel (2023), chaired the AGA Recognition Prize Selection Committee (2023–2024), and served on the AGA Leadership Pathways Task Force (2024–2025). His commitment to addressing social determinants of health was evident as he spoke at the DDW session on Food Insecurity and Colon Cancer in Washington, D.C., in May 2024. Additionally, he is a reviewer for the GI Opportunity Fund and continues to engage in collaborative efforts to enhance colorectal cancer screening strategies, including with Exact Sciences.

Notable Publications

Genomic and epigenetic instability in colorectal cancer pathogenesis
Authors: William M Grady, John M Carethers
Journal: Gastroenterology
Year: 2008

Genetics and genetic biomarkers in sporadic colorectal cancer
Authors: John M Carethers, Barbara H Jung
Journal: Gastroenterology
Year: 2015

Mismatch repair proficiency and in vitro response to 5-fluorouracil
Authors: John M Carethers, Dharam P Chauhan, Daniel Fink, Sibylle Nebel, Robert S Bresalier, Stephen B Howell, C Richard Boland
Journal: Gastroenterology
Year: 1999

Use of 5-fluorouracil and survival in patients with microsatellite-unstable colorectal cancer
Authors: John M Carethers, E Julieta Smith, Cynthia A Behling, Lanchinh Nguyen, Akihiro Tajima, Ryan T Doctolero, Betty L Cabrera, Ajay Goel, Christian A Arnold, Katsumi Miyai, C Richard Boland
Journal: Gastroenterology
Year: 2004

Evidence for a Connection between the Mismatch Repair System and the G2 Cell Cycle Checkpoint
Authors: Mary T Hawn, Asad Umar, John M Carethers, Giancarlo Marra, Thomas A Kunkel, C Richard Boland, Minoru Koi
Journal: Cancer Research
Year: 1995

Dr. Sumera Aziz | Biomolecules  | Best Researcher Award

Dr. Sumera Aziz | Biomolecules  | Best Researcher Award

University of Alberta, Canada

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🎓 Educational Background

Dr. Sumera Aziz has cultivated an impressive academic journey marked by excellence and international recognition. She recently earned her Ph.D. in Epidemiology from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, New York, USA (2019–2024), where she also obtained an MPhil in Epidemiology (2019–2022). Earlier, she completed her FCPS in Community Medicine from Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan (2013–2017), and acquired an MSc in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from the same institution (2010–2012). Her medical career began with an MBBS (equivalent to an MD) from Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan (2003–2009). These academic milestones reflect her unwavering commitment to public health and medical research.

💼 Professional Experience

Currently, Dr. Aziz serves as a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Alberta, Canada (2024–present), continuing her impactful research on maternal and child health. She was previously the Head of Research at Research Guide LLC in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA (2020–2024), and a Fulbright Scholar and Teaching Fellow at Columbia University (2019–2024). Her academic roots lie in Pakistan, where she held several key teaching and research positions at Aga Khan University, including Assistant Professor, Senior Instructor, and Instructor in the Department of Community Health Sciences (2013–2019). Dr. Aziz brings a wealth of academic leadership and field experience spanning over a decade.

🏅 Honors and Awards

Dr. Aziz’s scholarly excellence has been widely recognized through numerous prestigious awards and fellowships. She was awarded the Alberta Innovates Postdoctoral Recruitment Fellowship valued at CAD $70,000 (2024–2026) and the Fulbright Scholarship to support her PhD at Columbia University (2019–2024). Her outstanding contributions earned her the Jeremiah Barondess Award in Epidemiology (2024) and the Allan Rosenfield Alumni Award for Excellence (2019–2021). She also received the Capacity Development Scholarship from the National Institutes of Health, USA, and was honored with the Outstanding Teacher Award at Aga Khan University (2018). In addition, her research presentations won first prizes at national public health conferences for both oral and poster categories. She was also a scholarship recipient for her MBBS degree from the Aga Khan Education Service, Pakistan.

🔬 Research Grants and Projects

Dr. Sumera Aziz has served as Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator on multiple high-impact research projects with global and national significance. Most notably, she led the Pakistan site of the Women First Study (2013–2020), funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, with a budget exceeding US$ 1.49 million. This study explored preconception maternal nutrition and its effects on child growth and neurodevelopment in Pakistan, India, Guatemala, and DRC. She also led a UNICEF-funded health system analysis (2018–2019) on maternal and child health services in Pakistan (US$ 149,973), and a study on birth registry data quality (2017–2019). As a Principal Investigator, she examined the costs of vaginal and cesarean deliveries in Karachi hospitals (2017–2018). Additionally, she contributed as Co-Investigator in the Antenatal Corticosteroid Trial (ACT), a global study assessing neonatal mortality reduction through preterm birth interventions, funded by the NICHD. She was also involved in the measles immunization evaluation in Sindh (2014), supported by GAVI, WHO, JICA, and other partners, and worked on the Leadership in Family Planning and Reproductive Health Project, funded by the Packard Foundation.

🌍 Global Health Impact

Dr. Sumera Aziz has consistently demonstrated leadership in maternal and child health, community medicine, and health systems research. Her work spans across continents and collaborations with top-tier institutions and global health agencies, including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, UNICEF, NIH, and WHO. Her rigorous, community-centered research is helping shape health policies and improve maternal and child health outcomes in resource-constrained settings.

Notable Publications📄


📄Prevalence of hypertension and associated factors: a cross-sectional study in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Authors: Nasser S.M., Seema Mohammed; Shubair M.M., Mamdouh Mohamed; Fatani F.; Javed S., Shahan; El-Metwally A.A.S., Ashraf Abdel Salam

Journal: BMC Health Services Research

Year: 2025


📄Role of preconception nutrition supplements in maternal anemia and intrauterine growth: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Authors: Ali S.A., Sumera Aziz; Genkinger J.M., Jeanine M.; Kahe K.; Krebs N.F., Nancy; Kuhn L., Louise

Journal: Systematic Reviews

Year: 2025


📄Anthropometric and sociodemographic variables, but not preconception or prenatal maternal nutrition supplementation, predict neurodevelopment in offspring of the ‘Women First’ trial

Authors: Waldrop S.W., Stephanie W.; Chowdhury D., Dhuly; Westcott J.E., Jamie E.; Hambidge M.K., Michael K.; Krebs N.F., Nancy F.

Journal: Maternal and Child Nutrition

Year: 2024


📄Zinc Supplementation Initiated Prior to or During Pregnancy Modestly Impacted Maternal Status and High Prevalence of Hypozincemia in Pregnancy and Lactation: The Women First Preconception Maternal Nutrition Trial

Authors: Kemp J.F., Jennifer F.; Hambidge K.M., K. Michael; Westcott J.E., Jamie E.; Goldenberg R.L., Robert L.; Koso-Thomas M.W., Marion W.

Journal: Journal of Nutrition

Year: 2024