Scientific Advisory Committee

OCRA’s Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) comprises renowned doctors and researchers in the field of gynecologic oncology who help determine which grants we fund. This panel of esteemed experts reviews hundreds of proposals annually, selecting the most innovative and promising.

Meet the SAC

Ronald D. Alvarez, MD, MBA, Chair

Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Deborah K. Armstrong, MD

Johns Hopkins School of Medicine

Robert C. Bast Jr., MD

MD Anderson Cancer Center

Andrew Berchuck, MD

Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center

Jonathan S. Berek, MD, MMS

Stanford University School of Medicine

Benjamin Bitler, PhD

University of Colorado

Molly Brewer, DVM, MD, MS

University of Connecticut Health Center

Ronald Buckanovich, MD, PhD

Magee-Womens Research Institute

Jeremy Chien, PhD

California Davis School of Medicine

Kathleen Cho, MD

University of Michigan Medical School

Robert L. Coleman, MD

Vaniam Group

Jose Conejo-Garcia, MD, PhD

Duke University

Oliver Dorigo, MD, PhD

Stanford University

Katherine Fuh, MD, PhD

University of California, San Francisco

Gillian Hanley, PhD

University of British Columbia

Gwen Harding-Peets, PhD

Patient Advocate

David Huntsman, MD, FRCPC, FCCMG

University of British Columbia

Beth Y. Karlan, MD

UCLA Medical Center

Dineo Khabele, MD

Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis

Daniela Matei, MD

Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

Ursula Matulonis, MD, Grants Oversight Chair

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Kathleen Moore, MD, MS

University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center

Kenneth Nephew, PhD

University of Indiana

Sandra Orsulic, PhD

David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

Leigh Pearce, PhD, MPH

University of Michigan

Carolyn D. Runowicz, MD

Florida International University

Sohrab Shah, PhD

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Weill Cornell Medical College

Ie-Ming Shih, MD, PhD

Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Anil K. Sood, MD

MD Anderson Cancer Center

Kathryn Terry, ScD

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Shelley Tworoger, PhD

Oregon Health and Science Center

Jason D. Wright, MD

Columbia University Medical Center

Former Members

Jeff Boyd, PhD
Carmel J. Cohen, MD
Alan D. D’Andrea, MD
Ronny I. Drapkin, MD, PhD
Annie Ellis
Ellen L. Goode, PhD
Susan Leighton
Ernst Lengyel, MD, PhD
Douglas A. Levine, MD
Joyce Liu, MD
Carolyn Muller, MD, FACOG
Kunle Odunsi, MD, PhD
Bob Ozols, MD, PhD
Daniel J. Powell Jr., PhD
Stephen C. Rubin, MD
Michael Seiden, MD, PhD
Elizabeth Swisher, MD

Related Topics

OCRA President & CEO Audra Moran Named Crain’s 2026 Notable Leader in Health Care

Audra Moran, President and CEO of Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance (OCRA), has been recognized as a Crain’s New York Business 2026 Notable Leader in Health Care. Crain’s annual recognition spotlights health care executives whose leadership, innovation, and community commitment set a high bar for the field. Honorees are selected based on demonstrated impact, both within … Continued

OCRA Sponsors NCCN Guidelines for Cervical, Ovarian, and Uterine Cancer Patients

This article was updated in April 2026 to reflect NCCN’s release of the 2026 Guidelines for Uterine Cancer Patients. OCRA is a proud sponsor of the 2026 Patient Guidelines for Cervical Cancer and Uterine Cancer, and the 2025 Patient Guidelines for Ovarian. We believe ensuring access to clear, understandable information is critical. NCCN provides wonderful … Continued

FDA Approves Lifyorli Plus Abraxane for Platinum-Resistant Ovarian Cancer

On March 25, 2026, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Lifyorli (relacorilant), made by Corcept Therapeutics, in combination with Abraxane (nab-paclitaxel) for adults with platinum-resistant epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer who have received one to three prior lines of treatment, including prior Avastin (bevacizumab). The approval follows last month’s FDA … Continued

Scientific Advisory Committee