Dr. Caroline Dickens

Caroline Dickens is a biomedical researcher whose work centers on molecular oncology, pharmacogenetics, and infectious disease in African populations. Affiliated with South African research institutions and active in collaborative consortia, her scholarship bridges genomics, transcriptomics, and clinical epidemiology to address disparities in cancer and drug response. Her research frequently emphasizes the need for population-specific data to inform precision medicine.

Her publications highlight breast cancer biology, including FGFR2 variants and splice isoforms, PAM50 intrinsic subtyping, recurrence risk, and survival in diverse and HIV-affected cohorts. She has explored discordance between immunohistochemistry and genomic assays, contributing to context-appropriate diagnostic strategies. Work on mammographic density and tumor molecular profiling further reflects strengths in translational cancer genomics and biomarker evaluation.

Dickens also investigates pharmacogenetic determinants of drug toxicity, such as calcineurin inhibitors in transplantation and tenofovir-related kidney dysfunction, with a focus on African genetic diversity. Additional studies on microRNAs in sarcoidosis and host–pathogen interactions demonstrate broad molecular expertise. Collectively, her contributions advance equitable precision medicine and genomic research capacity in underrepresented populations.