BCRF Remembers Investigator Dr. Karen Liby

The late investigator was a pioneer in chemoprevention and drug development whose findings improved patients’ treatment experiences

BCRF mourns the passing of Dr. Karen Liby, an extraordinary scientist whose research spanned several areas of breast cancer including prevention, drug development, and treatment. A BCRF investigator since 2008, Dr. Liby’s passion for science and desire to help others led to breakthroughs that fundamentally improved many people’s lives.

Most recently, Dr. Liby was the Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Professor of Hematology-Oncology at Indiana University’s Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center.  She was also a valuable member of the cancer center, the Experimental and Developmental Therapeutics research program, and the Lung Cancer Working Group at Indiana University. Dr. Liby was nationally and internationally recognized for her expertise in drug discovery and served on many distinguished panels and committees.

Earlier in her career, she worked at Dartmouth University with her late mentor and fellow BCRF investigator Dr. Michael Sporn, a pioneer in chemoprevention. Their major research interest was developing and testing new drugs to prevent and treat cancer and to decode their molecular mechanisms of action.

During this collaboration, Dr. Liby tested several novel drugs and found that specific drugs could both prevent and treat breast cancer. In her work to move these drugs to the clinic, she sought to identify and validate biomarkers necessary for their clinical evaluation. Her more recent work focused on how the immune system and new combinations of drugs could be deployed to fight cancer. 

Dr. Liby’s enthusiasm for research was evident in her dedication to mentoring graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, instilling in them her love of science and her focus on helping others through her research.

“Those of us who had the pleasure of working with Karen will miss her spirit and the joy of discovery that she shared so freely,” colleague and fellow BCRF investigator Dr. Kathy Miller said. “We look forward to moving her work to the clinic.”

BCRF extends its deepest sympathies to Dr. Liby’s family, friends, and colleagues.