Page 8 - 2019-2020 Endowment Report | University of Rochester
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A life
dedicated to
cancer research.
Paula Vertino, PhD
Wilmot Distinguished Professorship in
Cancer Genomics
The Wilmot Distinguished Professorship in
Cancer Genomics was established in April
2014 with a gift from the Wilmot family and the
James P. Wilmot Foundation.
aula Vertino is the oldest of eight, the
daughter of chemists. In high school,
P she was a multisport athlete, earning 12
varsity letters while taking advanced classes
and working at Burger King. She went on to
play varsity softball in college. She can
easily spot a team player.
A lover of Nancy Drew and
Encyclopedia Brown books as a
child, Vertino decided that detective
work in a science lab was a perfect
career option and settled on
biochemistry. After a 22-year career at
Emory University’s Winship Cancer Institute,
Vertino joined Wilmot Cancer Institute in 2018
as the Wilmot Distinguished Professor in Cancer
Genomics. She also holds the honor of being the
cancer institute’s highest-level leadership recruit in
several years.
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