Jennifer A. Pietenpol, Ph.D., is the Chief Scientific and Strategy Office and Executive Vice President for Research at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in addition to being a professor of Biochemistry and Otolayngology-Head and Neck Surgery. Pietenpol’s research focuses on breast cancer and the p53 family signaling network—the most frequently targeted network for mutation in human tumors. Recently, Pietenpol has integrated her research expertise in tumor suppressor genes and molecular genetics with bioinformatic analysis of high dimensional genomic data sets to molecularly subtype difficult-to-treat, triple negative breast cancer. Her results are being translated to clinical trials and alignment of patients to appropriate, molecularly targeted therapy. Her research has impacted many areas of science and medicine and she has translated her discoveries into clinical impact for breast cancer patients. Pietenpol’s research is funded by the National Cancer Institute, the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation, and the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Program.

In 2008, the President appointed Pietenpol to a six-year term on the National Cancer Advisory Board. Also, Dr. Pietenpol serves on the external advisory boards for eight NCI Comprehensive Cancer Centers and leads two as Chair. In 2011, Pietenpol was appointed as member of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation Scientific Advisory Committee and as a member of the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research Advisory Committee. Recently, Dr. Pietenpol completed a three-year, elected term on the AACR Board of Directors. This year she will begin a three-year term as a Member of the Institute of Medicine, National Cancer Policy Forum.

In 1997, Pietenpol received the Burroughs Wellcome New Investigator Award in Toxicology; in 2004, she was honored with the Excellence in Teaching Award at Vanderbilt for her mentoring of graduate and medical students. She was inducted into the Johns Hopkins Society of Scholars (2009) and received the Carleton College Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award in 2011. In 2012, she was elected as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science for outstanding contributions to the field of cancer research, particularly the involvement of signaling networks in breast and other cancers.

After graduating from Carleton with honors in biology and as a member of Sigma Xi, Pietenpol earned a Ph.D. in cell biology at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in 1990. She continued her postgraduate training at Johns Hopkins Oncology Center (now Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center) before returning to Vanderbilt in 1995 as an assistant professor of biochemistry. She achieved the rank of full professor in 2002. Pietenpol has served as associate editor or on the editorial board for numerous biomedical research journals. She has authored or co-authored over 120 articles published in the peer-reviewed scientific literature.