From Molecular Signals to Biomarkers

Dr. Bodour Salhia
Dr. Bodour Salhia is a Professor and the Inaugural Interim Chair of the Department of Cancer Biology and the Royce and Mary Trotter Chair in Cancer Research at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC). She also serves as Co-Leader of the Epigenetic Regulation in Cancer Program and Inaugural Director of the Preclinical Models Shared Resource at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Dr. Salhia is a cancer biologist and translational scientist whose research integrates cell biology, cancer genomics, and epigenomics to address clinically unmet needs. Her primary focus is on developing cfDNA methylation-based liquid biopsy tools for early cancer detection and minimal residual disease (MRD) monitoring. Her team developed OvaPrint, a novel cfDNA methylation assay for early detection of ovarian cancer, and MammaTrace, a tumor-naïve liquid biopsy assay for MRD detection in breast cancer. These efforts reflect her broader commitment to precision diagnostics and noninvasive cancer monitoring.

Dr. Joachim Schmid
Dr. Joachim Schmid is Vice President of Data Platforms & Multiomics at Illumina, where he leads a global team of software engineers building cloud-based BioInsight products for scalable multiomics data analysis. Previously, he held senior leadership roles at NanoString and Roche Tissue Diagnostics, delivering software, cloud platforms, and AI-driven solutions across spatial biology and digital pathology. He holds a PhD-equivalent (Dr.-Ing.) in Electrical Engineering from the University of Stuttgart.