Fall 2026
By Lucy McDonald
Ovarian cancer remains one of the most devastating cancers due to diagnosis often coming at a later stage. Early detection tools are limited, and few methods exist to stop the disease before it accelerates. That reality is driving urgent research focused on finding ovarian cancer sooner. With grants totaling $450,000, Tina’s Wish is supporting the work of Chair of the Department of Pathology Kathy Burns, MD, PhD, and Chief of the Division of Radiation and Genome Stability founder, co-director of The Mellen and Eisenson Family Center for BRCA and Related Genes, and Svanberg Family Chair Dipanjan Chowdhury, PhD, at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to advance earlier detection and prevention. Each project focuses on a different aspect of disease progression, but both share the same goal: identifying ovarian cancer at its earliest and most treatable point.
Burns is studying early lesions in the fallopian tube that can activate DNA elements known as LINE-1. Her research seeks to determine how LINE-1 sites are switched on, whether they can serve as early markers of ovarian cancer, and how cells expressing them might be targeted with immune-based or other therapies. By tracking these early biological changes, her research could uncover warning signs long before cancer is typically detected.
We are proud to have a hand in accelerating promising research that could transform early detection and prevention of ovarian cancer, bringing hope to countless families and future generations.
Amy Kyle, Tina’s Wish Board Chair & Dana-Farber Trustee
Chowdhury’s lab is developing a simple blood test designed to detect ovarian cancer earlier and identify patients who may have a higher future risk of developing the disease. The novel test examines microRNAs, or miRNAs, small molecules in the blood that can shift in response to inherited risk and the earliest stages of cancer. By identifying these patterns, his research aims to create a more accurate and accessible tool for detecting risk and disease.
“We are proud to have a hand in accelerating promising research that could transform early detection and prevention of ovarian cancer, bringing hope to countless families and future generations,” said Amy Kyle, Tina’s Wish Board Chair and Dana-Farber Trustee.