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Dr. Oza has been PI and co-investigator in >150 phase I, II and III trials for gynecological cancer and advanced colorectal malignancies. Dr. Oza is Head of the Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Co-chair of the UHN Clinical Research Collaborative Center, Past-Chair of the International Gynecologic Cancer InterGroup (GCIG), Chair of the GCIG Scientific Committee, Co-Chair of the Clinical Research Executive at UHN, and past co-chair of the National Cancer Institute Gynecologic Caner Steering Committee. Under his direction, the gynecology group is one of the largest ovarian cancer (OC) clinical trials groups consistently accruing >30% of all patients seen onto clinical trials (>200/yr) at PM. The group has participated or led seminal studies in gynecologic cancers that have led to the approval or use of targeted agents such as PARP inhibitors (olaparib, niraparib) and anti-
angiogenic agents (bevacizumab) internationally.
Over the last decade, he has been PI/co-PI of 19 grants from agencies such as the Canadian Cancer Society Research Institute, Canadian Institutes for Health Research, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, and the US Department of Defense. Over his career he has published >315 articles (all types) including Clinical Cancer Research (IF=10), JAMA Oncology (IF=20), New England Journal of Medicine (IF=79), Lancet Oncology (IF=36) and an invited seminar to CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians (IF=24).

Sandra Orsulic, PhD, is a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UCLA, with a secondary appointment in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Zagreb, Croatia, and her Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her postdoctoral training was conducted under the mentorship of Nobel Prize Laureate Dr. Harold Varmus. Prior to joining UCLA, Dr. Orsulic served as an Assistant Professor of Pathology at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital.

Dr. Orsulic’s research focuses on elucidating how the microenvironment contributes to cancer initiation and metastatic progression, identifying molecular markers for early cancer detection, and developing effective pre-clinical models to test targeted therapies. Her pioneering work has significantly advanced our understanding of ovarian cancer biology. Notable achievements include developing the first genetically defined mouse model of ovarian cancer and establishing syngeneic BRCA1-deficient and proficient ovarian cancer cell lines. These models have been instrumental in the pharmaceutical testing of PARP inhibitors for ovarian cancer treatment.

Usha Menon, MD, is Professor of Gynecological Oncology and Lead, Training and Capacity Strengthening at the Medical Research Council Clinical Trials Unit at UCL (University College London) and honorary Consultant Gynecologist at UCLH NHS Foundation Trust in London. She is a Fellow of the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, UK.

Dr. Menon’s research focuses on the early detection and prevention of gynecologic malignancies, in particular ovarian cancer.

She was one of the principal investigators on the UK ovarian cancer screening trials and studies exploring symptoms of ovarian cancer. The latter includes the UK Collaborative Trial of Ovarian Cancer Screening – a randomized control trial of over 202,000 women.

Additional research interests include genetic and environmental risk factors and novel biomarkers for ovarian cancers and early detection of other cancers.

Dr. Menon began her training at Christian Medical College, Vellore, India and received her MBBS and MD in Obstetrics and Gynecology from the University of Madras, India. She continued her specialist training in UK and received her Certificate for Completion of Training (CCT) in Obstetrics and Gynecology from the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, UK and her research degree – MD(Res) – from UCL.

Karen H. Lu, MD, is Professor and Chair in the Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine and holds the J. Taylor Wharton Distinguished Chair in Gynecologic Oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Her main clinical interests include the surgical and medical treatment of women with ovarian and endometrial cancers, as well as the management of women at genetically high risk for these cancers.

Dr. Lu serves as Co-Director for the MD Anderson Clinical Cancer Genetics Program and Director of the High-Risk Ovarian Cancer Screening Clinic. She is a national leader in the cancer genetics field and has published seminal articles on hereditary gynecologic cancers. She has led national studies in ovarian cancer early detection and prevention. In addition, she serves as Principal Investigator of the NCI-sponsored Uterine Cancer Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE).

Dr. Lu takes pride in having mentored many clinical fellows and trainees and has been awarded an MD Anderson Outstanding Educator Award. She has consistently been featured as one of America’s Top Doctors.

Dr. Lu received her MD from Yale University, and her MHCM and BA from Harvard University.

Joyce Liu, MD, MPH, joined the staff of Dana-Farber and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in 2008, where she is a medical oncologist and clinical investigator in the Gynecologic Oncology Program. She received her MD from Harvard Medical School and completed her residency in Internal Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and her fellowship in Hematology Oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Dr. Liu’s research focuses on identifying and validating potential therapeutic targets in advanced platinum-resistant ovarian cancer, in an in-vitro setting as well as in a mouse model of ovarian cancer.

Dr. Liu was awarded The Columbia Hospital Research Foundation Annual Award for Research Excellence in Breast, Obstetrical and Gynecologic Disorders.

In the 5th issue of Dana-Farber’s Inside the Institute, Dr. Liu discusses the importance of federal funding after her successful clinical trial, which was funded by the National Cancer Institute, proved that a novel two-drug combination nearly doubled progression-free survival for many women with ovarian cancer.

Charles “Chip” Landen, MD is a gynecologic oncologist and an Associate Professor in the Gynecologic Oncology Division at the University of Virginia and the Associate Leader of the Women’s Oncology Program at the UVA Cancer Center.

Dr. Landen received his MD from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. He completed his residency at the Medical University of South Carolina and his fellowship in gynecologic oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

As a Tina’s Wish 2017/18 funded researcher, Dr. Landen has shown that DNA from ovarian cancer cells within the peritoneal cavity (the area that contains the abdominal organs) can be detected in the discharge collected on a tampon specimen after being placed overnight in patients with advanced ovarian cancer. Dr. Landen’s lab is performing experiments to see if this noninvasive method can be used for detection of early-stage, or even premalignant, ovarian cancer.