Mining multi-omic data to reveal hidden mechanisms of inherited breast cancer

Dr Mihaela Ola is a key member of our hereditary breast cancer research programme. Following the completion of her PhD in the UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, she has continued to focus on understanding why some individuals develop breast cancer despite having no detectable BRCA mutations.

Her research investigates BRCA DNA methylation and other epigenetic changes that may explain “BRCA-like” disease in women attending our Family History Clinic. By uncovering hidden mechanisms of inherited cancer risk, Dr Ola’s work has the potential to improve risk prediction, enhance genetic testing strategies and ultimately enable more personalised approaches to prevention and treatment.