The Susan F. Smith Center for Women's Cancers at Dana-Farber unites many of the world's leading experts in breast cancer, gynecologic cancer, and genetics under one common goal: to give patients the latest, most advanced care, including innovative therapies that are often available only through clinical trials. Bringing patient care and research in women's cancers under a single umbrella creates a natural alliance for better care and smarter science.
A place of hope and action, the Susan F. Smith Center bridges compassionate care with world-class basic and clinical research. We offer a full spectrum of services that nourish body, mind, and spirit. From the moment a patient arrives for her first appointment to the day her treatment ends, we surround her with a circle of support.
Leadership Team
Alan D’Andrea, MD, is director of the Susan F. Smith Center for Women’s Cancers, director of the Center for DNA Damage and Repair at Dana-Farber, and the Alvan T. and Viola D. Fuller American Cancer Society Professor of Radiation Oncology at Harvard Medical School. He leads a Stand Up To Cancer Dream Team focused on ovarian cancer, specifically therapies involved in DNA repair, including PARP inhibitors.
Additional biographical information
Sara Tolaney, MD, MPH, is associate director of the Susan F. Smith Center for Women's Cancers, chief of the Division of Breast Oncology, and Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Her research focuses on the development of novel therapies in the treatment of breast cancer. She is principal investigator for many therapeutic clinical trials and translational studies and serves as the breast oncology liaison to Dana-Farber's Center for Cancer Therapeutic Innovation and Center for Immuno-Oncology.
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Full Treatment Team
Ursula Matulonis, MD, is chief of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology and a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Her research focuses on targeted therapies for gynecologic malignancies, with a specific interest in the genetic changes in ovarian cancer and how that can lead to targeted drug selection. Dr. Matulonis is principal investigator of several clinical trials and translational studies for ovarian cancer.
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Full Treatment Team
Judy Garber, MD, MPH, is chief of the Center for Cancer Genetics and Prevention and a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. She has led studies of epidemiology, cancer surveillance, cancer genetics service delivery, and chemoprevention in hereditary cancers. Dr. Garber’s recent research has evaluated novel agents targeting DNA repair defects in treatment and prevention of triple-negative or basal-like breast cancer, the most common form of cancer in women with germline BRCA1 mutations.
Additional Biographical Information
Full Treatment Team
History
The Susan F. Smith Center for Women's Cancers began as an idea to unite the clinical and research strengths of the breast and gynecologic cancer programs. This notion of a center dedicated to studying and treating all women's cancers captured Dana-Farber Trustee Susan F. Smith's imagination. Her determination to make the center a reality — along with the strong support of many other individuals and organizations — has been a steady force behind its growth. The Executive Council of the Susan F. Smith Center, which was established in 2002, has extended Smith's legacy through its mission to help find cures for women's cancers through education, fundraising, and advocacy.
Today, we are pushing the frontier of research for women's cancers by developing innovative therapies and setting cancer care standards for other physicians across the country and around the world.
Strengthening Collaborations
The Susan F. Smith Center was designed to increase opportunities for scientific collaboration. Physicians and scientists don’t have to travel far to meet: an enclosed bridge connects clinical care with corresponding research facilities in the Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Research Laboratories next door. The proximity promotes translational research that converts scientific advances into new treatments.
