Breast cancer is diagnosed in approximately 180,000 women each year. Fortunately, with appropriate management, the majority of these women will be breast cancer survivors. My breast cancer research focuses on the long-term impact of breast cancer therapy on the lives of these women -- issues such as early menopause, osteoporosis, fertility preservation, post-treatment pregnancies, and quality of life. In addition, through larger research group efforts, we are developing improved treatment regimens (new chemotherapy agents, hormonal agents, monoclonal antibodies, non-chemotherapy treatments) in order to further increase the percentage of women who will be cured of breast cancer. We hope to help more patients become survivors, and to provide these survivors with the best-possible quality of life.

Acute leukemia is rarer than breast cancer, and unfortunately, fewer patients become leukemia survivors. My leukemia research aims to find new strategies to offer patients whose leukemia has relapsed despite standard therapies. At the same time, we aim to further our understanding of the molecular causes of leukemia relapse. Through laboratory collaborations, we hope to gain a better understanding of why certain leukemia cells do not respond or become resistant to many chemotherapy drugs. Understanding why the leukemia cells become resistant will help us target our therapies better. We participate in national clinical research efforts to improve cure rates in acute leukemia, thus allowing us to offer state-of-the art treatments to all leukemia patients. Ultimately, we hope to increase the number of leukemia survivors through finding better agents and better treatment strategies for all patients.