Varda Rotter

Varda Rotter is a German-born-Israeli cancer researcher.

Biography

Varda Rotter attended Bar-Ilan University where she studied microbiology for her bachelor's degree and cellular biology for her master's degree . Rotter attended the Weizmann Institute of Science to receive a doctorate in immunology. After completing her studies, Rotter moved to America and became a part of a cancer research group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Academic career

Rotter moved back to Israel and began to do research at the Weizmann Institute. She took the position of senior researcher, professor, and head of the Cellular Biology Department. She became a part of the Department of Molecular Cell Biology. Currently, Rotter holds the position of Director of the Women's Health Research Center at the Weizmann Institute.
Rotter's research focuses on the p53 tumor suppressor gene. Rotter and her team believe that the malfunction of this extremely important gene or other tumor suppressor genes can cause cancers to develop. In fact, Rotter and her team believe that if this gene is working and intact, cancers will not be able to fully develop in the first place. Rotter's research states that while normal p53 genes are supposed to suppress the development of tumors, abnormalities in the gene can actually cause tumors to develop