Research Abstract
I am a Physician in Medical Oncology at DFCI, an Associate Physician in Medical Oncology at BWH and an Assistant Professor of Medicine at HMS. My Area of Excellence is Clinical Expertise and Innovation, with a Significant Supporting Activity of Administration and Institutional Service.
My specific area of clinical expertise is in the care of young women with breast cancer, with the aim of optimizing outcomes in this subset of patients whose age places them at higher risk of recurrence and more vulnerable to short-term and long-term toxicities of treatment. In 2017, I was awarded a Young Investigator Award from the Conquer Cancer Foundation to study the prognostic impact of Oncotype for young women. Our findings, which demonstrated that Oncotype stratifies risk of recurrence and identifies many young women at low risk of recurrence who can safely forego chemotherapy, was published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Subsequent investigations have focused on ovarian function and fertility following breast cancer chemotherapy. My research within the Young Women’s Breast Cancer Study has identified significant variation in the risks of treatment-related amenorrhea based on patient age and modern treatment regimens, and our findings added significant information to the literature to help clinicians identify patients who may benefit from fertility preservation and to optimize the management of endocrine therapy following chemotherapy. Additional work has identified features associated with safety and feasibility of pregnancy after breast cancer in multiple large cohort studies with the aim of meeting this critical survivorship need. I have applied my expertise in these fields to clinical programs here at DFCI and BWH, serving now as the Associate Director of the DFCI Program for Young Women with Breast Cancer and a member of the DFCI Adult Oncofertility Program, with the aim of improving the oncologic and survivorship care of our young patients. I see many patients in consultation through direct referral from oncologists throughout New England and frequently field clinical questions from oncologists on the management of young women, fertility, and general breast medical oncology. I also participate in the DFCI Online Second Opinion Program. This program allows adult patients from around the world to get an expert opinion from a DFCI medical oncologist without travelling to Boston. To further broaden my reach, I have delivered CME lectures, performed editorial services as an ad hoc reviewer and guest editor, and written educational material for Oncologists and trainees on these topics.
Administration and Institutional Service: In addition to my position as Associate Director of the Program for Young Women with Breast Cancer, I serve as a Physician Lead for Clinical Integration for the DFCI Cancer Care Collaborative. Through this role, I work to extend the reach of DFCI to established and new Collaborative Members as well as Network sites. I work particularly closely with the Stamford Hospital Bennett Cancer Center and have focused on their program development and opportunities for clinical growth, development of educational opportunities including one-to-one review of cases by DFCI physicians. I run the DFCI Network and Collaborative Breast Oncology tumor board and am an invited discussant at breast oncology tumor boards organized by hospitals independent of DFCI. I also currently serve as the Breast Oncology Education Coordinator for the Dana-Farber/Mass General Brigham Fellowship. In this role, I oversee the breast oncology education curriculum and participate by delivering lectures to trainees and precepting case discussions.
My teaching activities include the supervision of medical oncology fellows during their breast oncology rotations at DFCI and teaching students, residents, fellows and physician assistants on the inpatient Medical Oncology service at BWH. I was the recipient of the Ellen and Stephen Fine Award for Outstanding Teaching in Cancer Medicine in 2021. From August 2018 through January 2021, I supervised medical oncology fellows during their breast oncology rotations at DFCI SEMC. I previously served as a preceptor in the HMS Introduction to Clinical Medicine course.
