Departmental Affiliations
Kala Visvanathan, MD, MHS, is a physician-scientist who conducts translational research focused on breast and gynecologic cancer risk and prevention to improve health outcomes and address disparities.
Contact Info
Research Interests
cancer epidemiology;cancer prevention; etiology; early detection; risk assessment; genetics; chemoprevention; breast cancer; biomarkers of risk and prognosis, repurposing medications, ovarian cancer, modifiable risk factors, statins, aspirin, depression, cancer survivors
Experiences & Accomplishments
Dr. Visvanathan is both a medical oncologist and a translational epidemiologist focused on reducing the incidence, morbidity and mortality associated with breast and ovarian cancer in all women. Dr. Visvanathan is Director of the Cancer Epidemiology Track, in the Department of Epidemiology at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Director of the Clinical Cancer Genetics and Prevention Service at the Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center in the School of Medicine. She is also a senior member of the Women's Malignancy Program and Cancer Prevention and Control Program at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center.
Dr. Visvanathan and her team conduct observational studies in well-annotated cohorts and in administrative databases including EMR as well as clinical trials to address knowledge gaps across the cancer continuum. Her research interests include: 1) improving risk stratification through the identification of novel risk factors/biomarkers. This includes evaluating inflammatory markers, genetic and epigenetic alterations, lifestyle factors, and coexistent chronic diseases. 2) identification of early biological changes associated with disease progression, 3) evaluation of various strategies to improve health outcomes in breast cancer survivors 4) evaluation of prevention and early-detection strategies in both the general population and at-risk groups (i.e genetic susceptibility).
Recently she has become focused on developing strategies to reduce existing disparities with respect to breast and ovarian cancer prevention and treatment.
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. Dr. Visvanathan has thrice co-chaired a national guideline on breast cancer prevention and is currently on the NCCN Genetic/Familial guideline Dr. Visvanathan has previously served on the Maryland State Cancer Council and chaired the Advisory Board of the Maryland Cancer Registry.
Honors & Awards
1999 AACR-Glaxo Welcome Oncology Scholar Award for Clinical/Translational Research
2001 First Prize in Clinical section John’s Hopkins Fellow Research Day
2005 ASCO Career Development Award
2012, 2014, 2018, 2019 JHSPH Teaching Excellence Award
2017 Inducted into Delta Omega Honorary Society for Public Health
2017 Baltimore Orioles Birdland Community Hero Award
2019. AACR Journal Award: Manuscript selected as one of the most highly cited articles in Cancer Prevention Research published in 2018.