Paul Boutros

Paul Boutros, Ph.D., MBA, is a Professor in the Departments of Human Genetics and Urology at the David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA. His research integrates clinical, molecular, and imaging data to develop biomarkers that personalize cancer therapy through machine learning. He focuses on prostate and thyroid cancers while investigating how sex, age, and ethnicity influence cancer development. Dr. Boutros leads the ICGC-TCGA DREAM Somatic Mutation Calling Challenge, establishing global standards for cancer genomic analysis.

Education:

• Ph.D., Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto (2008)
• Executive MBA, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto
• B.Sc., Chemistry, University of Waterloo (2004)

His laboratory develops computational frameworks linking molecular profiles with clinical outcomes to optimize treatment selection. Recent work explores evolutionary origins of cancer lethality, exercise interventions in oncology, epigenetic regulation in prostate cancer, and decentralized clinical trial methodologies.

Publications demonstrate leadership in cancer genomics, with 200+ papers covering precision oncology, therapeutic resistance mechanisms, biomarker translation, and AI applications. Recent studies focus on radiorecurrent prostate cancer models, RNA-mediated DNA repair, comorbidity impacts, and m6A methylation landscapes.

Awards:

• Dorval Prize (2018)
• Prostate Cancer Canada Rising Star Award
• Terry Fox New Investigator Award
• University of Waterloo Young Alumni Award
• Early Career Graduate Teaching Award

He directs translational biomarker programs and leads multidisciplinary teams in cancer genomics. Current projects investigate mitochondrial DNA biomarkers, tumor clonality dynamics, and exercise oncology interventions through decentralized trial platforms.