Christina Curtin, MD

2026 Mentored Investigator Grant

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Project Summary
PARP inhibitor (PARPi) therapy has improved survival in high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC), especially in patients with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. However, almost 50% of patients have disease recurrence, suggesting resistance to PARPi therapy. We seek to study tumors from patients with HGSOC receiving PARPi therapy and will use novel techniques to analyze the DNA, RNA and tumor microenviroment. The goal of the study is to understand how PARPi resistance occurs so that we can overcome it with new treatments and improve survival in patients with HGSOC and BRCA1/2 mutations.

Bio
Christina Curtin, M.D. is a second-year Gynecologic Oncology fellow at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC). She earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Providence College, with a minor in Economics, followed by a Master of Science in Biomedical Science from New York Medical College. During her graduate studies, she worked as a research assistant at MSKCC, conducting clinical research on survival outcomes in soft tissue sarcomas, which sparked her interest in oncology. Dr. Curtin earned her medical degree at Creighton University School of Medicine and completed her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. During her residency, she received the SGO Outstanding Resident in Gynecologic Oncology Award and was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society.
As MSKCC, Dr. Curtin is a member of the Gynecology Disease Management Team, where her research focuses on the molecular and genomic landscapes of gynecologic malignancies. Her work aims to advance treatment strategies for recurrent disease through the identification of novel biomarkers, therapeutic targets, and mechanisms of resistance to therapy.