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“This is a person who generously shares her vast knowledge and actively brings researchers together to foster new collaborations,” says Beatrice Melin, Professor of Oncology at the Department of Diagnostics and Intervention, who nominated Melissa Bondy for the honorary doctorate.

Melissa Bondy is Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health at Stanford University and has previously served as a visiting professor at Umeå University. In addition to her successful research career, she has made significant contributions as a mentor to early-career researchers and students, for example by identifying relevant projects and collaborative opportunities.

“I am deeply honored by this appointment and look forward to visiting Umeå University again,” Melissa Bondy writes in an email.

Melissa Bondy’s research focuses primarily on cancer and the role of genetics in the development and progression of different types of the disease. She has collaborated with Beatrice Melin for more than 20 years, including work aimed at understanding why brain tumors arise. Their joint research has demonstrated, among other findings, that genetics plays an important role in the development of gliomas, a type of brain tumor that originates in the cells that surround and support nerve cells in the brain.

“If we understand how a brain tumor develops, there is also an opportunity to find new ways to detect it early or develop new treatments. These discoveries have provided us with a genetic map of glioma development, an aggressive form of brain tumor. This increases our understanding of the biological processes involved in brain tumor development,” says Beatrice Melin.