March 8th is International Women’s Day, a time to honor the remarkable achievements of women across every profession, especially in medicine, where their leadership drives lifesaving progress. This year, we’re proud to spotlight women physicians whose work is transforming the way we understand and detect pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest cancers worldwide.
At the forefront is Diane M. Simeone, MD, a globally recognized pancreatic surgeon, scientist, and Director of the Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health. Dr. Simeone is the Chief Scientific Advisor here at PRECEDE and founded our organization in 2020.
But Dr. Simeone is far from alone. Across PRECEDE’s Executive Committee, global clinical sites, and research teams, extraordinary women physicians and scientists are helping to drive this mission forward. Among them are:
- Fay Kastrinos, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine and Director of pancreatic cancer prevention programs at Columbia University, dedicated to understanding genetic risk and surveillance strategies.
- Sonia S. Kupfer, MD, Director of the Gastrointestinal Cancer Risk and Prevention Clinic at the University of Chicago, and a Principal Investigator in PRECEDE’s global research efforts.
- Aimee Lee Lucas, MD, MS, Chief of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Mount Sinai West and Morningside, whose clinical research focuses on screening and early detection in high-risk populations.
- Rosie Sears, PhD, Professor and Pancreatic Center Co-Director at Oregon Health and Science University and Professor in the Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics.
These leaders represent just a small number of the remarkable women across our consortium who are advancing science, mentoring the next generation, and improving patient care. From laboratory discovery to clinical innovation to patient advocacy, women throughout PRECEDE are expanding access to early pancreatic cancer detection – a critical area where survival improves dramatically when the disease is caught at its earliest stages.
Today, we celebrate their leadership, vision, and relentless dedication and the many women physicians and researchers around the world whose contributions make medicine stronger every day. Happy International Women’s Day!
