Voices of U of U Health
Leader Profile: Alana Welm Is Shaping the Future of Cancer Science and Treatment
By Alana Welm, PhD
Growing up in rural Montana, I never could have imagined that one day, I’d be a cancer researcher. Higher education wasn’t the norm for people in my small town, and I would be a first-generation college student.
I’m not sure that I would have pursued a science career if not for my high school biology teacher. He’d recently spent the summer in a lab at the University of Montana learning about biotechnology, just as the field was emerging. His lessons about recombinant DNA and genetic engineering fascinated me.
In high school, I attended a science fair at the University of Utah, the closest regional competition. My project won an award, and I received a scholarship to the ACCESS Scholars Program at the U. At 17, I wasn’t ready to live in a “big city” so far from home, and the remaining out-of-state tuition made it financially difficult to stay.
I transferred to the University of Montana to complete my undergraduate studies in microbiology. I didn’t think that I would return to the U. With more time and perspective, I eventually changed my mind.
At the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, I completed my PhD and met my husband, Bryan Welm, PhD, a breast cancer researcher. We pursued our postdocs at the University of California, San Francisco. We knew we wanted to find faculty positions in the western United States. When we interviewed at the U, we were impressed with the community, collegiality, collaboration, and positive comments we heard from patients.
Nineteen years later, we feel the same way! Utah has been a fantastic place to raise our family, grow as scientists, connect with the community, and make a difference in cancer research.
Shifting Research Focus to Prevention and Cure
An unexpected experience changed the trajectory of my work when I started at the U in 2007.
I had just finished my postdoctoral research at UCSF, where I began studying metastatic breast cancer. While establishing my lab at the U, I shadowed oncologists at Huntsman Cancer Institute. I wanted to gain insights into metastatic cancer from a clinical perspective. That collaborative experience—especially with Saundra Buys, MD, a national leader in breast cancer care and research—was transformational.
Dr. Buys helped me realize my desire to improve patients’ lives. I decided to shift my research focus from understanding how metastatic disease spreads to finding better ways to prevent or treat this condition, for which there is still no cure.
When I first started my lab, I wanted to make discoveries that would make a difference in patients’ lives. I wasn’t thinking about future leadership opportunities. But over the years, I’ve been a program leader, senior director of basic science, and now the chair of the Department of Oncological Sciences. These positions enabled me to have greater influence on cancer research than I ever could have had in my own lab.
Ushering In a New Division of Cancer Data Science
I view the Department of Oncological Sciences as the discovery engine behind Huntsman Cancer Institute.
When there was an opening for a new department chair, many people encouraged me to apply, including my longtime informal mentor Brad Cairns, PhD, who held the position before I did. I realized that as chair, I could help to shape the direction of cancer research at a time when the institute and the university are growing in national reputation and breadth.
When Huntsman Cancer Institute opens a second campus in Vineyard, Utah County, in 2028, it will house our department’s new division, the Division of Cancer Data Science. I’m excited for us to apply artificial intelligence and data science to gain new insights into the complexities of cancer.
This strategy aligns with the institute’s strategic plan for a cancer-free frontier—a bold but important vision to ensure we do our very best.
A Department Is Nothing Without Its People
I have benefitted from the outstanding research environment at the University of Utah and Huntsman Cancer Institute. Now, it’s time to give back.
As chair, part of my job is to expand the department, with continued focus on scientific innovation and excellence. The other part of the job is to inspire continued success of our faculty and trainees through mentorship and sponsorship.
This is a responsibility I don’t take lightly in the current climate of federal funding uncertainties. A department is nothing without its people and I’m honored and grateful to work with such an incredible group.
Future Vision
Honesty, transparency, and hard work are important to me. I intend to lead the department with those values while being a clear communicator, good listener, and respecting different points of view.
I’m continually learning and trying to improve. I try to do the right thing and, as a scientist, I like to make decisions based on good data.
There’s a saying that if you aren’t uncomfortable, you aren’t trying hard enough, and you won’t make progress. In research, we have to stretch ourselves. The same is true in leadership and in life.
Many of us are thinking about the uncertain future of federal research funding. I believe that people understand the importance of research, and we’re not going to give up just because it gets hard.
In my vision of the future, the Department of Oncological Sciences will be recognized internationally not only for cancer research, but also for training the next generation of cancer researchers and for making a difference in the community.
I’m looking forward to this journey!
