Elizabeth Stover, MD, PhD

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Academic Titles

Assistant Professor, Medicine, Harvard Medical School

Research Program Affiliation

Member, Gynecologic Cancers

Research Abstract

My basic and translational research program in gynecologic cancers aims to understand patients’ response and resistance to therapy and identify new therapeutic targets. My research approach combines basic laboratory investigation with genomic and functional studies of human tumors, informed by clinical phenotypes. Specifically, I aim to identify therapeutic vulnerabilities in specific subsets of ovarian cancers, and to define clinically relevant mechanisms of drug resistance that can be effectively targeted to treat resistant disease. For example, functional genomic screens showed that targeting specific anti-apoptotic proteins can promote cell death in ovarian cancer cells treated with chemotherapy. As a complementary approach, I am involved in translational research projects focusing on drug-resistant ovarian cancers, including genomic studies of ovarian tumors and patient-derived xenografts. Finally, I am working with collaborators to apply emerging technologies to gynecologic malignancies, including single-cell RNA sequencing, cell-free DNA sequencing, BH3 profiling of drug-induced priming for apoptosis, and an implantable microdevice to measure drug sensitivity. My goal is to apply my training as a physician-scientist to improve treatment options and outcomes for patients with gynecologic cancers.