In this episode, you'll meet Dr. Laura Esserman and Dr. Steve Birrell, who are collaborating to change the breast cancer treatment paradigm. This topic is more relevant than ever, given recent developments in the world of celebrities and influencers, such as Olivia Munn, who announced she had a double mastectomy for Luminal B breast cancer. Dr. Esserman is a force of nature in breast cancer. Since 1993, she’s worked at UCSF as a surgeon and oncology specialist, and co-lead of their Breast Oncology Program. She’s gained an audience by publishing over 400 peer-reviewed articles and appearing in mainstream news, such as the New York Times, where she published a provocative editorial this summer on whether Ductal Carcinoma in SITU should still be called cancer. In 2016, she was named one of TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential. She was also a member of President Obama’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. Dr. Esserman is the Principal Investigator of the I-SPY TRIAL group with the incomparable Dr. Steve Birrell, Founder of HAVAH Therapeutics, based in Adelaide, Australia. Havah is developing a potentially revolutionary testosterone-based approach to the treatment of breast cancer. Dr. Birrell’s three-decade career in cancer spans many roles. He’s a specialist, surgeon, medical innovator, and one of the most published molecular oncologists. The two of them are collaborating on an I-SPY trial reevaluating the treatment of DCIS. Tune in as we’ll talk about the context and rationale for this trial and the science as we learn about them and how their passions outside of their research fuel their commitment to innovation.

Mary Stutts is the CEO of the Healthcare Businesswomen's Association, also known as HBA. HBA is a global nonprofit dedicated to advancing women's impact and involvement in the healthcare industries at large. Mary has had an extensive and diverse career in healthcare. She’s worked in leadership positions at Genentech, Bayer, Bristol Myers Squibb, Sumitovant, UnitedHealth Group, Kaiser Permanente, Stanford Health Care, and Comcast NBC-Universal. Before joining HBA, she served as Chief Global Health Equity and Inclusion Officer for our company, Real Chemistry. Mary is a perfect match for her role as CEO of HBA. HBA provides a platform for women in healthcare to elevate their careers through developing diverse professional networks. They are laser-focused on community growth with myriad opportunities for women to connect and support each other in their careers. They also have a robust professional development arm with programs, events, and resources for women in health, including mentorship, leadership development, advocacy, and skill-building workshops.

Dr. Karen Knudsen currently serves as the CEO of the American Cancer Society and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network. She’s also an internationally recognized oncology leader, guided by the goal of improving the lives of cancer patients and their families. She served as tenured faculty at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine prior to recruitment to Thomas Jefferson University in 2007. Before her role as the CEO at ACS, she was the Executive Vice President of Oncology Services for Jefferson Health and Director of the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, one of the elite National Cancer Institute’s NCI-Designated Cancer Centers in the US. Dr. Knudsen is well-known for her discoveries in prostate cancer, advancing our understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying this common diagnosis and paving the way for targeted therapies. She’s also known for her advocacy work, emphasizing cancer prevention, early detection, research funding, and new treatments. In addition to being CEO of the American Cancer Society, she serves on the board of advisors for the National Cancer Institute and on twelve external advisory boards for NCI-Designated Cancer Centers.