Kandice Tanner

Kandice Tanner is a renowned biophysicist and cell biologist known for her significant contributions to the field of cancer research. She is currently a tenured investigator at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Early Life and Education

Tanner was born and raised in Florida, United States. She pursued her undergraduate studies in Physics at Florida A&M University, where she developed an interest in biophysics. She then went on to earn her Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, focusing on the biophysical properties of cells and tissues.

Career

After completing her Ph.D., Tanner joined the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory as a postdoctoral fellow. Here, she worked on developing imaging techniques to study the mechanical properties of cells and tissues. In 2010, she joined the National Cancer Institute (NCI) as a tenure-track investigator. At NCI, Tanner's research focuses on understanding the physical properties that enable cancer cells to metastasize.

Research

Tanner's research primarily revolves around understanding the biophysical properties of cells and tissues, particularly in the context of cancer metastasis. She has developed innovative imaging techniques to study these properties, which have significantly advanced our understanding of how cancer cells move and invade other tissues. Her work has implications for the development of new therapeutic strategies to prevent cancer metastasis.

Awards and Recognition

Tanner's contributions to the field of cancer research have earned her several awards and recognitions. She is a recipient of the NIH Director's New Innovator Award and the American Association for Cancer Research's Minority-Serving Institution Faculty Scholar in Cancer Research Award.