Tuya Pal, MD, is a Professor in the Division of Genetic Medicine in the Department of Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Her research interests have consistently focused on epidemiological studies of inherited cancer predisposition.
Dr. Pal’s research has spanned the continuum of cancer prevention and control, with evaluations of genetic etiology, cancer risks, and outcomes, including efforts among underserved populations. She has also evaluated the care delivery of genetic services, including identification, access, utilization, quality of care, and follow-up care. Her efforts among underserved ethnically and racially diverse populations of young women with breast cancer have focused on both the prevention and control of cancer, as well as care delivery, including development of educational and outreach efforts to enhance awareness about inherited breast cancer.
Dr. Pal created the Inherited Cancer Registry (ICARE) initiative. This is an academic-community partnership providing outreach and education at both the patient and provider level. This effort has resulted in tremendous growth of the research registry, with recruitment of over 2,000 high-risk participants including more than 1,000 BRCA carriers.