Dr Lily Paemka is a molecular geneticist and senior lecturer at the Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology Dept, University of Ghana. For her doctoral studies at the University of Iowa, she characterized genes implicated in autism spectrum disorders and epilepsy. As a postdoctoral fellow, she elucidated the effect of loss of the CFTR gene on myeloid and epithelial cells in cystic fibrosis pathogenesis at the University of Iowa. This was followed by a postdoctoral stint in cancer genetics where she was involved in elucidating the role of the tumor suppressor TFAP2A gene in regulating cancer response to anticancer treatment.
Dr Paemka is currently a Principal Investigator in Ghana, where her research entails characterizing genetic and pathogenic breast cancer risk factors, epigenetics of Prostate cancer and cytogenetics and genetics of multiple myeloma in Ghanaians. As a geneticist, Dr Paemka primarily interested in human genetic traits and diseases, particularly in describing genetic variations and elucidating pathways involved in cancers in Africans. She is currently a recipient of the OWSD (Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World) Early Career Fellowship and the founder of the annual Nufu Festival aimed at raising breast cancer awareness among Ghanaians.
