Karin C. Lilja

Karin C. Lilja is Scientific Program Manager at Breast Cancer Research Foundation. As part of BCRF’s Research Program staff, Karin manages BCRF’s annual grants programs, as well as special projects within the BCRF breast cancer research grants portfolio. BCRF’s Research team works collaboratively with the organization to effectuate on BCRF’s mission to prevent and cure breast cancer by advancing the world’s most promising research.

Karin obtained her a PhD from NYU Sackler Institute of Graduate Biomedical Sciences in 2018, where she investigated mechanisms regulating muscle stem cells. She moved to the United States from Sweden in 2008, representing Uppsala University as an exchange student at Cornell University. With a curiosity for stem cell and cancer biology, she pursued research, at Cornell, relating to these fields in a laboratory studying hair biology and skin cancer.

Prior to joining BCRF in September 2018, Karin worked with a team of scientists at NYU Langone Health’s Pathology Department to perform big data analyses aimed at discovering new melanoma treatments.

While pursuing university studies, Karin represented students at Uppsala University’s Faculty of Medicine, and she also worked to promote interests in math, physics, chemistry, biology and technology by organizing national and international science exhibitions, in Sweden, for young scientists.