April 18, 2025
Growing up in the tropics, postdoctoral fellow Bidii Ngala, PhD, MS, witnessed firsthand how infections and diseases were linked to cancer risks. His early curiosity about these connections, along with a personal medical experience, set him on a path to becoming a cancer researcher. Today, Dr. Ngala’s work focuses on developing advanced detection strategies to catch cancer earlier and improve patient outcomes. As a trainee member of The University of Kansas Cancer Center, he is able to advance his work by making important connections with cancer center members and access to training and career development opportunities.
From curiosity to discovery
Dr. Ngala’s interest in medical research was sparked at a young age. He grew up in Mombasa, Kenya, where malaria and parasitic infections were associated with increased cancer risk, and he became curious about the link between infectious diseases and cancer development. A childhood experience with a thyroid cartilage cyst, which was initially suspected to be cancerous, fueled his desire to understand cancer on a deeper level. This passion led him to pursue a career in molecular medicine. He ultimately joined the German cancer research center at Heidelberg University in Germany for his advanced training in familial cancer germline mutation screening and brain tumor diagnostic neuropathology.
“Being part of an effort to help bring better prevention measures, early detection and development of therapy became my ultimate interest,” Dr. Ngala said.
Now, Dr. Ngala is focused on improving early cancer detection through small extracellular vesicles, also known as exosomes. These vesicles act as a messenger between cells and can promote tumor progression and metastasis. His work involves screening for mutations, analyzing biological markers like miRNA, snRNA and long non-coding RNA to identify novel ways to detect cancer early and monitor cancer progression with an initial focus in ovarian cancer. In addition, Dr. Ngala is exploring potential links between oral cancer, oral health and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, aiming to identify early prevention strategies.
“My goal is to develop better diagnostic methods, provide mechanistic understanding and contribute to a future where cancer and neurogenerative disease are detected earlier and treated at earlier stages,” Dr. Ngala said.