Recognizing Advances in Ovarian Cancer Research and Immunotherapy
Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance (OCRA) announced today the winners of two prizes recognizing exceptional accomplishments in ovarian cancer research.
David Huntsman, MD, FRCPC, FCCMG, was awarded the 2025 Rosalind Franklin Prize for Excellence in Ovarian Cancer Research for his findings that have profoundly impacted the treatment of certain ovarian cancer subtypes. Sarah Gitto, PhD, received the 2025 Schreiber Research Prize for Outstanding Mentored Investigators for contributing to progress in personalized medicine. The winners were decided by a select panel of members from OCRA’s Scientific Advisory Committee.
Dr. Huntsman and Dr. Gitto exemplify the very best of scientific leadership and innovation,” said Audra Moran, President and CEO of OCRA. Their work is advancing our understanding of ovarian cancer and helping move the field forward in meaningful ways for patients. We are proud to honor researchers whose dedication and discoveries are reshaping the future of care and bringing us closer to more effective treatment options.
Rosalind Franklin Prize Recognizes Breakthroughs in Ovarian Cancer Treatment
Dr. Huntsman is a professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of British Columbia. He is being honored for research that includes demonstrating ovarian cancer subtypes should be treated as distinct diseases–an approach that has led to improved patient outcomes. Dr. Huntsman has further contributed to the field through co-founding the British Columbia-based multidisciplinary research team OVCARE.
I was drawn to ovarian cancer research by two brilliant and inspiring women (the late Nelly Auersperg, MD, PhD, and Dianne Miller, BSc, MD, FRCSC),” said Dr. Huntsman. He teamed up with Dr. Miller to co-found OVCARE, which has evolved into the Gynecologic Cancer Initiative. “My own research has contributed to change, but the growing impact and potential of our team astounds and excites me.
The Rosalind Franklin Prize for Excellence in Ovarian Cancer Research is a $10,000 annual prize awarded to a senior researcher for contributions to basic science, translational, or clinical research in ovarian cancer. It is named for Dr. Rosalind Franklin, a pioneering molecular biologist who played a pivotal part in discovering the structure of DNA before her death of ovarian cancer at age 37.
Schreiber Research Prize Highlights Innovation in Ovarian Cancer Immunotherapy
Dr. Gitto is a research assistant professor in the Department of Radiology at the University of Pennsylvania. She is being acknowledged for helping to drive progress in personalized medicine through her OCRA-funded research focused on the immune system. Her lab is currently investigating innovative immunotherapy strategies, such as combination immune checkpoint inhibitors.
I have always wanted to help women with cancer,” said Dr. Gitto. “There is still so much more work to be done to develop new treatments and cures for ovarian cancer, and I hope that my research will someday make an impact for these women.
The Schreiber Research Prize for Outstanding Mentored Investigators is a $5,000 biennial prize presented to a junior researcher who best demonstrates that they have used funding from their completed OCRA Mentored Investigator Grant to significantly impact the field of ovarian cancer research. This prize is named in honor of Ann and Sol Schreiber. Sol founded Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (now Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance) in memory of his wife, Ann, who passed away from ovarian cancer in 1994.
