Janet Rowley

Janet Rowley was a pioneering cytogeneticist who discovered that cancer is caused by specific chromosomal translocations, fundamentally changing the concept of cancer from a random genetic disease to one with recurring, reproducible molecular lesions. She identified the t(9;22) Philadelphia chromosome as a BCR-ABL translocation in chronic myeloid leukemia — the same translocation that imatinib later specifically inhibits — and characterized recurring translocations in acute myeloid leukemia including t(8;21). Her discoveries that specific chromosomal rearrangements define cancer subtypes launched the era of molecularly-defined cancer classification and targeted therapy.