Jamaican Dr. Simone Badal honored with Sabga Award for pioneering cancer research

Jamaican scientist and cancer researcher Dr. Simone Badal has been named this year’s Science & Technology laureate at the prestigious Anthony N. Sabga Caribbean Awards for Excellence, held on Saturday at the Hyatt Regency Trinidad.

The recognition cements her place among the Caribbean’s most outstanding minds and marks a major milestone in the region’s push for more inclusive, targeted cancer treatments.

Dr. Badal, a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Basic Medical Sciences at The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, was honored for her groundbreaking work in developing Caribbean-specific cancer cell lines. Her pioneering research led to the creation of ACRJ-PC28—the first prostate cancer cell line derived from a Caribbean man—addressing the long-standing gap in global cancer research, where models have historically centered on Caucasian populations.

“It’s gratifying to know that the region values and supports my work,” Dr. Badal told the audience. “We need to develop targeted therapies for our Caribbean men and women with cancer, and that is what we are hoping to do. So, there is much more ahead. My advice is to seek your purpose and know exactly why you are here. You can overcome the challenges because there will be challenges in this field.”