Meet Dr. Britt Drögemöller Assistant Professor at the Department of Biochemistry & Medical Genetics, University of Manitoba, and Canada Research Chair in Pharmacogenomics and Precision Medicine.

Dr Drögemöller kindly answered to a few questions we were curious to know about.

Q: How long have you been a member of the PGRN?
A: I joined the PGRN (as a trainee member) in 2017.

Q: How has the PGRN helped your career in pharmacogenomics?

A: Joining the PGRN has created several professional development and net

working opportunities for me. By attending PGRN meetings as a trainee, I was able to present my research and meet pharmacogenomics researchers from around the world. This created an ideal environment to build up collaborations that have continued to grow along with my career. These connections were extremely valuable as I started my own group, and I am thrilled to see my own trainees taking advantage of PGRN opportunities like the mentorship program, so that they can grow their own networks.

Q: What is your current position/role?
A: I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics at the University of Manitoba and a Canada Research Chair in Pharmacogenomics and Precision Medicine.

Q: What do you enjoy most about your current position?
A: As a human geneticist, I am really excited about the vast amounts of genomics data that are being generated, which can be used to advance precision medicine research. Beyond being fortunate enough to be in a position where I can focus on this growing area of research, I enjoy the creative process of working together as team. There is nothing more rewarding than meeting to brainstorm specific aspects of a project, and to see how each individual provides a new perspective on how to approach a problem. I am so fortunate to have such a talented group of individuals working in the lab and we are always looking for more passionate individuals to join our team.

Q: You are a member of the PGRN Oncology Special Interest Group; what are the topics/goals within this group that you’re most interested in?
A: As the lead of the Collaborative Cancer Pharmacogenomics Research Subcommittee, I am particularly excited about creating opportunities to foster collaboration between PGRN members around the globe. We are in the process of creating searchable databases so that researchers can easily identify sources of data and collaborators in their specific areas of research. Our primary aim is for these resources to enable the generation of collaborative outputs for PGRN members.

Q: What do you see as the most exciting advances in pharmacogenomics over the next 2-5 years?
A: I think there are many exciting avenues for pharmacogenomics research, which have been enabled by rapid advances in genomic technologies. The detailed insights that can be achieved by combining single cell sequencing technologies with high throughput genomic analyses, will provide us with unprecedented opportunities to identify drug targets. This will ultimately lead to the development of more precise therapeutics and better treatment outcomes for diverse individuals around the globe.