Washington Varsity Names Prof Toriola, Physician-scientist Scholar

Professor Adetunji Toriola, Obafemi Awolowo University, an Ile Ife alumnus, has been named Physician-scientist Scholar of The Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, United States.

Prof Toriola is said the second physician-researcher named as part of the School of Medicine’s new Physicians-scientist Investigators Initiative, which supports pioneering physician-scientists whose work already has transformed their fields.

A press statement obtained on the University website reads, “Toriola is a molecular cancer epidemiologist who joined the faculty in 2012. In addition to his physician training, he also received further training in public health with an emphasis on cancer epidemiology and prevention.

“Adetunji T. Toriola, MD, PhD, a professor of surgery in the division of Public Health Sciences at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has been named a William H. Danforth Washington University Physician Scholar.

“As a public health scientist, Toriola is investigating ways to reduce the risk of premenopausal breast cancer and also colorectal cancer.

“He is a principal investigator on two grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) – one funds research to understand the molecular basis of breast density and the mechanisms by which dense breasts increase the risk of breast cancer; the other, a MERIT Award, supports a phase 2 clinical trial evaluating whether targeting a signalling pathway can reduce breast density and levels of biomarkers known to increase breast cancer risk,” the statement added.

Speaking on the appointment, the university’s executive vice chancellor for medical affairs, Prof. David Perlmutter, said, “Toriola’s appointment builds upon the School of Medicine’s legacy as home to some of the world’s most influential physician-scientists and our commitment to continuing in that purpose.

“He is bringing a public health science approach to the identification of key targets for the prevention of breast cancer, one of the holy grails of the personalised medicine paradigm. I’m delighted that the Bill Danforth WashU Physician-Scientist Investigator Initiative will help support his exciting work,” he added.

Additionally, Toriola is a collaborator on a major multicenter study, also funded by NIH, that aims to enrol 5,000 patients, from diverse backgrounds, who are newly diagnosed with colorectal cancer to understand how lifestyle and other factors affect outcomes of the disease.