Jill Slack-Davis, PhD
University of Virginia
Detailed characterization of tumor initiation in a novel mouse model of high-grade serous ovarian cancer
Early detection remains the best approach for successful treatment of cancer, including ovarian cancer, as patients with early stage cancer have the best chance of survival. There is an urgent need to identify specific biomarkers for early detection and to understand the earliest time points in cancer progression to guide effective clinical intervention. Dr. Slack-Davis is developing a novel mouse model for ovarian cancer that can immediately and permanently track individual cells, at the time of the earliest genetic mutations that eventually lead to ovarian cancer. By knowing the earliest genetic mutations, early detection biomarkers can be developed to indicate the presence of ovarian cancer.