EVENT HIGHLIGHT | 2025 DF/HCC Breast & Gynecologic Cancer Symposium

On Friday, March 28, 2025 investigators from Dana-Farber’s Susan F. Smith Center for Women’s Cancer held the DF/HCC Breast and Gynecologic Cancer Symposium to highlight novel breast and gynecologic cancer research at Harvard and other Boston academic institutions. The truly collaborative event brought together over 200 participants, including attendees from DF/HCC institutions as well as the University of Massachusetts, MIT/Broad Institute, Whitehead Institute, Wyss Institute, as well as dedicated patient advocates.   

The symposium was chaired by a multidisciplinary planning committee, consisting of Alan D’Andrea, MD, Director for the Center for DNA Damage and Repair and the Center for BRCA and Related Genes; Sara Tolaney, MD, Chief of the Division of Breast Oncology at DFCI; Ursula Matulonis, MD, MPH, Chief of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at DFCI; and Judy Garber, MD, MPH, Chief of the Division of Cancer Genetics and Prevention at DFCI.  The committee oversees the abstract submission process and selected 12 speakers, who are organized into four sessions on I) Genomics; II) Risk, Prevention & Disparities/Clinical; III) Drug Resistance/Animal Models; and IV) Tumor Microenvironment/Immunology.  Abstracts not selected for oral presentations were displayed during a mid-day poster session.  

The day also featured two keynote speakers: Daniel G. Stover, MD, FASCO discussed various data used in translational breast cancer research. While Kathleen N. Moore, MD, MS, FASCO discussed antibody drug conjugates in gynecologic cancers and how we can use science, sequence, and strategy to optimize patient outcomes.

Most excitingly, two $500 awards were given out for best presentation and best poster. The prize for best presentation was awarded to Kathy Situ, PhD Candidate for her talk titled BRCA2- Deficiency Induced APOBEC3 Drives Genomic Instability upon Replication Stress. While the prize for best poster was awarded to Ting Liu, MD for a poster titled High-Resolution Profiling of Antibody-Drug Conjugate Response in Triple Negative Breast Cancer.

Additionally, the DF/HCC Pathfinder Office – which focuses on meeting the needs of DF/HCC’s early-stage cancer investigators and supporting their educational, training, transitions, and career development – also had an info table for attendees to learn more about the office and the PATHFINDER Webtool.  

The 2025 DF/HCC Breast & Gynecologic Cancer Symposium showcased the power of collaboration across institutions and disciplines, highlighting innovative research and fostering meaningful connections among investigators, clinicians, and advocates—all with the shared goal of advancing care and outcomes for patients with breast and gynecologic cancers.

Visit the event page to view a brief highlight video and the agenda