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

Houston Methodist Neal Cancer Center

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

Tufts 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

The Overview: July 2026

SummeRun Raises $260,000+ for Research, Hope and Progress Nearly one thousand runners, walkers, survivors, families, friends, and supporters showed up at Seattle’s Seward Park on Sunday, July 12th, for the 33rd annual Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance (OCRA) Rivkin Family SummeRun, raising more than $260,000 for research and programs that support the gynecologic cancer community. The … Continued

Navigating Platinum-Resistant Ovarian Cancer: Everyday Health Shares Coping Strategies and OCRA Resources

In an article published by Everyday Health, “Coping With the Emotional Challenges of Platinum-Resistant Ovarian Cancer” (June 10, 2026), Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance (OCRA) community member Amanda Widro shares her experience navigating a platinum-resistant ovarian cancer diagnosis. Ovarian cancer is considered platinum-resistant when it recurs within six months of finishing platinum-based chemotherapy. Widro, who was … Continued

OCRA Rivkin Family SummeRun Brings Together Nearly 1,000 Participants for a Day of Hope and Progress for Ovarian Cancer Research

Nearly 1,000 runners, walkers, survivors, families, friends, and supporters gathered at Seattle’s Seward Park on Sunday, July 12, 2026, for the Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance (OCRA) Rivkin Family SummeRun. This year’s event raised more than $260,000. Now in its 33rd year, the event once again transformed the park into a sea of teal and purple, … Continued

Scientific Advisory Committee