This study is led by the Pregnancy-Associated Cancers Research Group.
This is a group of oncologists who are experts on the management of pregnancy-associated cancers. Our research team is passionate about ensuring that every woman diagnosed with pregnancy-associated cancers has the ability to pursue all treatment options that offer the best chance of a successful outcome to both the pregnancy and cancer.
Our Team
Katherine Van Loon, MD, MPH
University of California, San Francisco
Principal Investigator
Dr. Katherine Van Loon is a Professor of Medicine and gastrointestinal oncologist at UCSF. She has clinical expertise in the management of gastrointestinal cancers. Her research interest focuses on the epidemiology of gastrointestinal cancers both in the United States and globally, with the aim to improve clinical outcomes and reduce disparities in vulnerable populations. She has consulted on a number of cases of colorectal cancer diagnosed during pregnancy. She is a member of ASCO’s Expert Panel on Management of Cancer During Pregnancy and leads the Pregnancy-Associated Cancers Research Group. She is the Principal Investigator of The PAC Study.
Michael Duke, PhD
University of California, San Francisco
Michael R. Duke, Ph.D. is a medical and labor anthropologist, and the Director of Qualitative Research at the UC San Francisco Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative. A methodologist and ethnographer, Dr. Duke’s research focuses on the health and well-being of communities experiencing structural vulnerability, particularly those who are negatively impacted by policy. His methodological focus includes developing community-engaged strategies to access hard to reach populations, and designing novel approaches for interpreting qualitative and mixed method data.
Narjust Florez, MD
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston
Dr. Narjust Florez is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and a thoracic oncologist. She is the Associate Director of The Cancer Care Equity Program at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and is a globally acclaimed researcher in cancer health disparities, gender, and racial discrimination in medical education and medical practice. Dr. Florez’s clinical interests include targeted therapy for lung cancer and the care of women and young patients with lung cancer, including their unique aspects of cancer survivorship. She is the Principal Investigator of the Sexual Health Assessment in Women with Lung Cancer (SHAWL) Study and Principal Investigator of the international Pregnancy and Lung Cancer Registry.
Daniel Grossman, MD
University of California, San Francisco
Dr. Daniel Grossman is a Professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at UCSF and Director of Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH), a research program in the UCSF Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health. He focuses his research on both clinical and social science studies aimed at improving access to contraception and safe abortion. He is the Principal Investigator of the Care Post-Roe Study (carepostroe.ucsf.edu). He has served on committees for professional organizations such as the American Public Health Association and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
Alison Loren, MD, MSCE
University of Pennsylvania
Dr. Alison Loren is the Director of Blood and Marrow Transplant in the Cell Therapy and Transplant Program at the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania. She is currently Co-Chair of ASCO’s Expert Panel on Management of Cancer During Pregnancy. She has a career-long interest in the management of blood cancers in pregnancy.
Jordyn Silverstein, MD
University of California, Los Angeles
Dr. Jordyn Silverstein is a fellow in medical oncology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She has been closely mentored by Dr. Katherine Van Loon and is an integral part of multiple publications on pregnancy-associated cancer, including in the Journal of Clinical Oncology Practice as well as JAMA Oncology. She is also a co-founder of the Pregnancy-Associated Cancer Research Group.
Banu Symington, MD
Sweetwater Regional Cancer Center, Rock Springs, Wyoming
Dr. Banu Symington is an oncologist who has practiced in the rural Midwest for 20+ years. She practices as a solo hematologist and oncologist and volunteers as a tireless advocate for underserved rural patients. She has had leadership roles as Idaho Chapter Governor for the ACP board of Governors, Vice Chair of ACP Ethics Committee, Chief of Staff of St Luke’ss Magic Valley in Twin Falls, Idaho. She is also a clinical trials enthusiast and was a previous recipient of the National Cancer Institute’s CTEP Award for Clinical Trial Recruitment in 2011.
Leticia Varella, MD
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston
Dr. Leticia Varella is an Associate Physician and breast oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, MA. She focuses her research on young patients with breast cancer and serves as the Breast Oncology Center Liaison for the Dana-Farber Adult Survivorship program and the International Patient Center Physician Lead for the Breast Oncology Center. She has a special interest and expertise in young patients with breast cancer and pregnancy.