Karen Keeshan PhD

Dr Karen Keeshan is a Reader in Leukaemia Research at the Paul O’Gorman Leukaemia Research Centre, in the Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow. Dr Keeshan graduated with a B.Sc. in Biochemistry from the University College Cork, Ireland in 1998. She trained for a PhD degree under the joint supervision of Prof. Tom Cotter and Dr Sharon McKenna and graduated with a PhD in Apoptosis and Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia from University College Cork in 2002. 

Dr Keeshan carried out her postdoctoral training in the USA. She first undertook a post-doctoral research post in Prof. Bruno Calabretta’s laboratory in the Kimmel Cancer Centre, at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, working on signalling in Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia. She then undertook a second post-doctoral position in Prof. Warren Pear’s laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania. She held two Leukaemia and Lymphoma Society awards, The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Special Fellowship Award and The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Career Development Award working on Acute Lymphoid and Acute Myeloid leukaemia where she first identified TRIB2 as a novel oncogene.

Dr Keeshan was awarded a President of Ireland Young Researcher award (PIYRA) a highly prestigious award granted by the President of Ireland on behalf of the Irish Government Agency Science Foundation Ireland which supports “future leaders”. She also received a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions –Individual Fellowship. These enabled Dr Keeshan to establish her Leukaemia research group at the University College Cork, Ireland.

Dr Keeshan moved her research group to the University of Glasgow having been awarded a non-clinical Senior Lecturer post in Paediatric Haematology funded by the Howat Foundation and Children with Cancer UK, to develop paediatric leukaemia research in Scotland. She has received additional funding from Blood Cancer UK, Yorkhill Leukaemia & Cancer Research Fund and a number of additional charity, studentship and grant awards. Dr Keeshan reviews for high impact journals, a large number of funding agencies including charities and government, is a panel evaluator for fellowships including Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions and enjoys collaborating with colleagues across the world, giving seminars and talks at international conferences and institutes. Dr Keeshan is a leader in Tribbles and cancer research and has co-organised international conferences in this field.