Matthew Breen
Professor of Genomics and Comparative Oncology Genetics
Dr. Matthew Breen’s research focuses on genetics, genomics, and the comparative aspects of animal and human health. The lab uses a range of genetic and genomic technologies for evaluating changes to genome structure that occur in canine cancers. With these data we aim to improve outcomes for canine cancer patients and also advance our undestanding of the comparable cancers in people. In addition, we are assessing the impact of daily environmental exposures on animal health, as a sentinel for human health.
Dr. Breen is a Professor of Genomics and the Oscar J. Fletcher Distinguished Professor of Comparative Oncology Genetics in the Dept. of Molecular Biomedical Sciences at the NCSU College of Veterinary Medicine. He is also a member of the NCSU Comparative Medicine Institute (CMI), Center for Human Health and the Environment, and the Genetics and Genomics Initiative, as well as the Duke Cancer Institute, and the Cancer Genetics Program at the University of North Carolina’s Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Breen is a member of the NCSU Research Leadership Academy.
Dr. Breen was a charter member, and served on the Board of Directors, of the Canine Comparative Oncology and Genomics Consortium (CCOGC), a 501c3 not-for-profit organization the operated for 20 years to promote the role of the dog in comparative biomedical research. He is member of the steering committee of the NCI’s Integrated Canine Data Commons and serves on the Data Governance Advisory Board and Longitudinal Data Acquisition & Use Working Group of that initiative. Dr. Breen was appointed to the National Academies expert committee tasked with planning a public workshop to examine the role of companion animals as sentinels of shared environmental exposures that may impact human aging and cancer. Dr. Breen is also a charter member of the Sea Lion Cancer Consortium (SLiCC)
Dr. Breen has served on scientific review committees for organizations including the National Institutes of Health, AKC Canine Health Foundation, and the Morris Animal Foundation. He is a regular reviewer for numerous scientific funding agencies and journals. Dr. Breen serves on the editorial board of several journals and is an Associate Editor of Chromosome Research.