Marco Marra

Professor, Medical Genetics and the Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia
Distinguished Scientist, BC Cancer Research Centre
Terry Fox Leader in Cancer Genome Science 
Co-lead, British Columbia Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Consortium

Known for his work in genomics and precision cancer genomic medicine, Dr. Marco Marra, OC, OBC, PhD, FRSC has demonstrated the pivotal role that genomics can play in human health and disease research, including through contributions to the Human Genome Project, leading the first sequencing of the SARS coronavirus genome in 2003, and co-leading BC’s Personalized OncoGenomics (POG) program, the first proof-of-concept study demonstrating the use of whole genome analyses in personalized cancer medicine. POG has engaged the majority of medical oncologists in BC, recruited >2,500 patients with advanced cancer on to the study and published numerous manuscripts describing how whole genome and transcriptome sequencing can influence clinical treatment decision making to bring benefit to cancer patients and their families.

Over the course of his career, Dr. Marra has led numerous cancer projects, revealing new mutations, biomarkers, and therapeutic targets in ovarian cancers, B cell lymphomas, brain cancers, breast cancers, medulloblastomas, leukemias, rhabdoid tumours and cervical cancers. His research has been instrumental in demonstrating the functional interplay between the cancer genome and epigenome. Dr. Marra has received numerous awards, including a Terry Fox Young Investigator Award in 2004, and has participated in multiple Program Project Grant teams. He is an instrumental member of the Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Network, participating in and leading several working groups and projects. In 2024, he was named the Terry Fox Leader in Cancer Genome Science.