Dr. Marco Marra has been awarded the 2025 Killam Research Prize in health sciences, a prestigious award recognizing Canadian scholars who have made a significant impact in their respective fields through sustained research excellence.
Dr. Marra is a distinguished scientist with Canada’s Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre at BC Cancer, and a professor with Michael Smith Laboratories and in the Department of Medical Genetics at the University of British Columbia.
Dr. Marra’s work focuses on studying the genome and identifying how precision cancer genomic medicine can be used to tailor treatment for an individual based on their genes and the genetic and molecular profile of their cancer. For over 12 years, he has co-led the BC Cancer Personalized OncoGenomics program, a world-leading, patient-centric research initiative that uses intensive genomic data collection and analysis to identify and better understand the genomic alterations that drive cancer growth, metastasis and the biological evolution and response to therapies.
Dr. Marra is a celebrated leader in genomics research and one of the world’s most cited scientists in the field of molecular biology and genetics. Prior to being awarded a Killam Research Prize, he was appointed to the Order of Canada in December 2024 and inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame in 2020.
The Killam Prizes are among Canada’s most distinguished research awards. Five prizes are awarded annually by the Killam Trusts, through the National Research Council, to outstanding Canadian scholars in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, health sciences and engineering. Each Killam Prize is worth $100,000 and is awarded in the expectation that the scholars will continue to contribute to the Canadian research community.
BC Cancer Foundation and its donors funded the establishment of the Genome Sciences Centre in 1999 and have been lead supporters of its programs throughout its history. The creation of the Personalized OncoGenomics program in 2012 was made possible by the BC Cancer Foundation, who have been lead funders of the program since its inception.