Karen S. Anderson, M.D., Ph.D., is a medical oncologist at the Mayo Clinic. Her research focuses on improving outcomes for people with breast cancer, with a particular emphasis on breast cancer immunotherapy.

Dr. Anderson actively conducts clinical trials exploring new approaches to breast cancer treatment, including therapies designed to reduce the risk of recurrence after surgery, as well as targeted therapies and immunotherapies for metastatic breast cancer. Her research also examines genomic factors that may help guide treatment decisions and improve personalized care.

Beyond treatment, Dr. Anderson is investigating new approaches to cancer detection and prevention, including innovative diagnostics for earlier cancer detection and vaccines designed to prevent or treat cancer.

The overarching goal of her work is to improve breast cancer survival—by finding cancer earlier, reducing the risk of relapse, and developing more effective ways to control advanced disease. Her research represents the kind of innovative science that could help change the future of breast cancer care.

Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation. -Audre Lorde poet, educator, mother of two, and breast cancer survivor

Amy VanHook is a two-time breast cancer survivor, mother of two daughters, and a high school educator with an MS in Curriculum and Instruction.

Drawing from her own experiences with breast cancer she hopes to share a deeply personal perspective on the importance of self-care, self-advocacy, and giving yourself permission to navigate cancer on your own terms.

Her message to women is simple: there is no single “right” way to move through cancer. Your journey belongs to you.

Dr. Norberto Zwirner is a leading researcher in immunology and cancer immunology, with a particular focus on tumor immunity, immunotherapy, and the role of natural killer (NK) cells in fighting cancer. He serves as a Senior Researcher with Argentina’s National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET) and leads the Laboratory of Innate Immunity Pathophysiology at IBYME.

For his earlier.org-funded research, Dr. Zwirner is investigating a novel approach to the early detection of breast cancer by examining soluble MICA (sMICA) in blood as a potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarker. His work represents the kind of innovative research that could ultimately help us detect breast cancer earlier—when it is most treatable.