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Charles Drescher, M.D., Director of Gynecologic Cancer Research at the Swedish Cancer Institute is a nationally recognized gynecologic oncologist and clinician-scientist who has dedicated his career to the prevention and early detection of cancers of the female reproductive system, particularly ovarian cancer. He leads the Initiative for Cancer Prevention and Early Detection at the Paul G. Allen Research Center, with the goal of developing early detection strategies for cancers that have none, with a focus on ovarian cancer.  He also serves as an affiliate professor at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and a clinical professor at the University of Washington and is a principal investigator of the Pacific Cancer Research Consortium, a National Cancer Institute Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) site.

Dr. Drescher received his M.D. from the University of Michigan and has spent over 40 years advancing research and patient care aimed at improving outcomes for women facing gynecologic cancers. Dr. Drescher has over one hundred peer-reviewed publications and has been a part of numerous clinical trials. His current research focuses on responses of immune system to cancers with the hope of finding early detection targets. Dr. Drescher is also part of the Vanguard Study that is working towards validating a Multi-Cancer Detection (MCD) test, which could help find cancer early, before symptoms appear. The results from this study will inform a larger national trial for early detection of cancers.

He brings translational expertise to our Scientific Advisory Board as a researcher who combines the traditional serological biomarker perspective with next-generation precision diagnostics. As a physician-scientist who understands the challenges and importance of early detection of cancers, he is committed to advancing innovative research and accelerating progress towards earlier detection and better outcomes for women.

Analisa DiFeo, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Departments of Pathology and Obstetrics & Gynecology at the University of Michigan Medical School. She is also the Director of the Cancer Biology Graduate Program at the Medical School. Dr. DiFeo graduated with a Bachelor of Science from SUNY Binghamton and a PhD from Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Her research career started with her work at Case Western Reserve University that focused on identifying novel biomarkers and targets for ovarian cancer treatment and therapy response. While at Case Western she formed a Gynecologic Oncology Translational Research Working Group that generated a gynecologic tumor biobank. Dr. DiFeo currently serves as Director of the Michigan Ovarian Cancer Science and Innovation Consortium (MOSAIC), which brings together physicians, scientists, and patient advocates from leading Michigan institutions to advance research in developing novel diagnostic tools for ovarian and advanced-stage uterine cancers. With over 17 years of experience and passion for translational oncology, she has led ovarian cancer focused translational research programs and is an expert on the role of microRNAs as markers for pathogenesis, progression, and therapy of ovarian cancer.

With over 80 peer-reviewed publications and leading foundation- and federally- funded research programs, she brings her scientific expertise from her work on unraveling genetic drivers for early detection to Tina’s Wish SAB. Her experience and commitment to connecting students with biomedical scientists to inspire future careers in science, emphasizes her motto, “Pass your Passion” and she co-founded The Young Scientist Foundation, to further the cause.

Ronny Drapkin, MD, PhD, is the Director of the Ovarian Cancer Research Center at the University of Pennsylvania where he also serves as the Director of Gynecologic Cancer Research at The Basser Center for BRCA and the Director of the Translational Center of Excellence for Ovarian Cancer at the PennMedicine Abramson Cancer Center.

Dr. Drapkin received his undergraduate degree from Brandeis University, his PhD from the Rutgers University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, and his MD from the Rutgers University Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. He completed his residency in Anatomic Pathology at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and his postdoctoral fellowship at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

The Drapkin laboratory focuses on understanding the genetic, molecular, and physiological factors that drive the development of ovarian cancer. Dr. Drapkin’s work led to the appreciation that the fallopian tube is likely the site of origin for a majority of high-grade serous ovarian carcinomas. This finding was a paradigm shift in the field and motivated his lab to develop novel experimental model systems to study the fallopian tube and determine what makes it susceptible to becoming a cancer.

Dr. Drapkin is currently a Tina’s Wish Individual Investigator and Consortium Grant Recipient for 2019-2021. Read more about his work to discover genetic and protein biomarkers indicative of ovarian cancer here, and his work to develop early-detection methods here.