Lisa M. Abegglen, PhD

Dr. Lisa M. Abegglen is a Research Associate Professor at the University of Utah and an investigator at Huntsman Cancer Institute. Her work focuses on understanding how animals naturally resist cancer and other diseases, and how these insights can be used to improve human health and wildlife conservation. She co-discovered that elephants have extra copies of the tumor suppressor gene TP53, which contributes to their enhanced cancer suppression and provides a model for developing new therapies.

Dr. Abegglen also leads a cross-species biobanks, with samples from a large number of diverse species. Using these resources, her research explores the genetic and cellular mechanisms that influence cancer risk and immune defense, with an emphasis on translating evolutionary discoveries into novel strategies for cancer prevention and treatment. In addition, she studies elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus-hemorrhagic disease (EEHV-HD), focusing on how harmful innate immune responses drive severity and how they might be targeted to improve survival and support conservation.