Thorunn Rafnar is the Head of Oncology at Reykjavik-based deCODE genetics. She received a Ph.D. degree at the University of North Carolina in 1990 and subsequently spent 8 years at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore. After returning to Iceland, Thorunn was a Visiting Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Iceland until she joined Iceland Genomics Corporation, where she served the role of Chief Operating Officer. In 2006, Thorunn moved to deCODE genetics and became the Head of Division of Oncology.
Thorunn´s primary research interests focus on the link between genetic variation and cancer predisposition, progression and treatment outcomes. In addition, she has worked on multiple other genomics projects at deCODE. Her research has resulted in more than 140 peer-reviewed papers. In recent years, Thorunn has become involved in the implementation of services for personalized clinical cancer care in Iceland.
