Laura Chambers, DO

Laura Chambers, DO, MS, is an Associate Professor on the Tenure Track in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology. She received a BA in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and subsequently obtained a Master’s degree at Midwestern University in Downers Grove, IL, where her research thesis focused on the interactions between the gut microbiome and diet-induced obesity and development of metabolic syndrome. She then obtained her medical degree from the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine in Downers Grove, IL. Dr. Howitt then completed an Obstetrics and Gynecology residency and the Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship at The Cleveland Clinic. In addition to my clinical work, my research is focused on the role of the gut and female reproductive tract microbiota in gynecologic cancer development, response to treatment, and as a potential therapeutic target. The current focus of this OCRA-funded proposal is to understand how microbiome-directed interventions may improve quality of life, treatment toxicity, and oncologic outcomes in patients with ovarian cancer.