Keynote Speakers

Deborah W. Knapp, DVM, is the Dolores L. McCall Professor and Distinguished Professor of Comparative Oncology in the Dept. of Veterinary Clinical Sciences at Purdue University. She earned her BS degree from North Carolina State University in 1980, DVM from Auburn University in 1983, and MS/Veterinary Medical Oncology Residency Certificate from Purdue University in 1988. After post-doctoral research in cancer pharmacology and tumor immunology, she joining the Purdue faculty in 1990. Dr. Knapp directs the Werling Comparative Oncology Research Center (WCORC) in the College of Veterinary Medicine, and is on the senior leadership team in the NCI-Designated Purdue University Institute for Cancer Research. Her work is conducted at the interface of studies at the bench, animal model work, and translation of important findings to humans. Dr. Knapp’s research is strongly focused in invasive urinary bladder cancer in which the naturally-occurring form of the cancer in dogs serves as a highly relevant model for the human condition, and she is nationally and internationally known for work defining and using this model. She chairs the Steering Committee for the National Cancer Institute’s (NCIs) Integrated Canine Data Commons, and serves on the Steering Committee for the NCI-Funded Pre-medical Cancer Immunotherapy Network for Canine Trials.