Kala Visvanathan

Kala Visvanathan, MD, MHS, FRACP is a Professor at Johns Hopkins University with dual appointments in the Bloomberg School of Public Health and the School of Medicine. She serves as Director of the Cancer Epidemiology Track in the Department of Epidemiology and Director of the Clinical Cancer Genetics and Prevention Service at the Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center. Dr. Visvanathan is also a senior member of the Women's Malignancy Program and Cancer Prevention and Control Program at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center.

• MHS, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (1998)
• FRACP, Royal Australasian College of Physicians (1996)
• MD, University of Sydney (1989)

Dr. Visvanathan is a physician-scientist conducting translational research focused on breast and gynecologic cancer risk and prevention to improve health outcomes and address disparities. Her research interests include improving risk stratification through novel biomarkers, evaluating inflammatory markers and genetic alterations, identifying early biological changes associated with disease progression, and evaluating prevention strategies in both general and at-risk populations. She has recently focused on developing strategies to reduce disparities in breast and ovarian cancer prevention and treatment.

Analysis of Dr. Visvanathan's recent publications reveals a strong focus on cancer epidemiology across multiple organ sites, with particular emphasis on breast cancer. Her research integrates population-based studies, clinical trials, and molecular approaches to address critical questions in cancer prevention and risk assessment. A notable trend is her increasing emphasis on health disparities, with numerous studies examining social determinants of health and outcomes in minority populations.

• AACR-Glaxo Welcome Oncology Scholar Award for Clinical/Translational Research (1999)
• First Prize in Clinical section Johns Hopkins Fellow Research Day (2001)
• ASCO Career Development Award (2005)
• JHSPH Teaching Excellence Award (2012, 2014, 2018, 2019)
• Inducted into Delta Omega Honorary Society for Public Health (2017)
• Baltimore Orioles Birdland Community Hero Award (2017)
• AACR Journal Award (2019)

Dr. Visvanathan is an active member of multiple national research groups including the NCI Cohort Consortium, ECOG Breast Committee, and NRG co-operative trials Prev/Epi/Beh Committee. She has thrice co-chaired national guidelines on breast cancer prevention and currently serves on the NCCN Genetic/Familial guideline committee. Her grant portfolio includes major projects such as the Finnish Database study on breast and ovarian cancer outcomes, the CLUE 1&II Population Based Cohort, and research assessing economic burden among specific populations.

Dr. Visvanathan leads multiple research initiatives including the BOSS HIGH RISK FAMILIAL COHORT and projects assessing breast and ovarian cancer outcomes using large administrative databases. Her work integrates epidemiological approaches with clinical applications through the Clinical Cancer Genetics and Prevention Service at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, where she develops and implements prevention strategies for high-risk individuals.