Deborah Knapp: ‘A New Era in Comparative Medical Research and Opportunities to Position Purdue as a World Leader’

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Deborah Knapp, distinguished professor of comparative oncology, the Dolores L. McCall Professor of Comparative Oncology and director of the Evan and Sue Ann Werling Comparative Oncology Research Center, discussed “A New Era in Comparative Medical Research and Opportunities to Position Purdue as a World Leader” at the Westwood Lecture Series on Sept. 21, 2023.

Abstract. This presentation will center on comparative oncology research in which studies of specific forms of naturally occurring cancer in pet dogs are designed to ultimately improve the outlook for humans, as well as pet dogs facing cancer. A brief overview of the field and its critical importance will be given. The presentation will also touch on four areas:

1. Challenges including the high failure rate of new cancer drugs in human clinical trials and the reasons for these failures, and challenges in aligning veterinary researchers to respond to new opportunities in comparative medical research.
2. The incredible opportunities that have emerged in the last five years, including growing buy-in for the value of canine studies in comparative cancer research, and unprecedented increases in funding for canine research.
3. The reasons why Purdue can be well positioned as a world leader in this field.
4. A suggested roadmap forward.

Bio. Deborah W. Knapp, DVM, is the Dolores L. McCall Professor and Distinguished Professor of Comparative Oncology in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences at Purdue University. She earned her BS degree from North Carolina State University in 1980, DVM from Auburn University in 1983, and MS/Veterinary Medical Oncology Residency Certificate from Purdue in 1988. After postdoctoral research in cancer pharmacology and tumor immunology, she joined the Purdue faculty in 1990. Dr. Knapp directs the Werling Comparative Oncology Research Center in the College of Veterinary Medicine and is on the senior leadership team in the NCI-designated Purdue University Institute for Cancer Research. Her work is conducted at the interface of studies at the bench, animal model work and translation of important findings to humans. Dr. Knapp’s research is strongly focused on invasive urinary bladder cancer in which the naturally occurring form of the cancer in dogs serves as a highly relevant model for the human condition, and she is nationally and internationally known for work defining and using this model. She chairs the steering committee for the National Cancer Institute’s Integrated Canine Data Commons and serves on the steering committee for the NCI-funded Pre-medical Cancer Immunotherapy Network for Canine Trials.