Boston, Mar 28: Dr. Kathleen Burns, Chair of Pathology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, has been elected as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science—a prestigious lifetime honor recognizing outstanding contributions to science and innovation.
Dr. Burns was recognized in the field of Medical Sciences for her pioneering research on mobile genetic elements, often referred to as “jumping genes,” and their role in human diseases, particularly cancer. Her work has significantly advanced understanding of how these genetic sequences contribute to mutations and influence cancer biology, paving the way for improved diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.
In addition to her role at Dana-Farber, Dr. Burns serves as a Professor of Pathology at Harvard Medical School, an Associate Member of the Broad Institute, and a senior hematopathologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Her laboratory focuses on repetitive DNA sequences and transposons, exploring their impact on cell biology and disease progression.
Dr. Burns earned her MD and PhD from Baylor College of Medicine and completed her residency and fellowship at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She later joined the Johns Hopkins faculty, where she rose to the rank of Professor before joining Dana-Farber in 2020.
Her numerous accolades include a Career Award in the Biomedical Sciences from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund and distinguished lectureships at institutions such as McGill University, Queen’s University, and University of Texas Southwestern. She is also an elected member of leading organizations including the American Society for Clinical Investigation and the American Association of University Pathologists.
Dr. Burns is among nearly 500 scientists, engineers, and innovators elected as AAAS Fellows this year across 24 disciplinary sections, joining more than 20 researchers from Dana-Farber to receive this distinction since its inception in 1874.
The 2026 class of AAAS Fellows will be honored at the Fellows Forum in Washington, D.C., on May 29, 2026.
