Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University; Member Molecular Therapeutics Group, Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute

Ayesha B. Alvero, M.D., M.Sc. is a Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She received her M.D. from the University of the East, Manila, Philippines, and her M.Sc. in Cellular and Molecular Biology from the University of New Haven. Her first post-doctoral fellowship was in the laboratory of Dr. Barry Kacinski in the Department of Therapeutic Radiology at Yale University School of Medicine. While in Dr. Kacinski’s lab, Dr. Alvero developed a quantitative assay to measure circulating tumor cells for the prediction of chemo response in breast cancer patients. She then joined Dr. Gil Mor’s laboratory at the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at Yale University School of Medicine for a second post-doctoral fellowship and focused her work on ovarian cancer.

Dr. Alvero’s research focus has been on the elucidation of mechanisms that support recurrent ovarian cancer such as those that promote inherent and acquired chemoresistance as well as mechanisms that inhibit effective anti-tumor immune responses. She led the group in the identification of key apoptotic regulators in epithelial ovarian cancer and generated robust proof-of-concept studies leading to clinical trials for Phenoxodiol, NV-128/ME-344, and Cantrixil. Dr. Alvero also led the team in the identification and characterization of ovarian cancer stem cells and the determination of their role in tumor progression. She is also instrumental in the development of unique in vitro and in vivo models that can facilitate the discovery and testing of novel diagnostic and therapeutic modalities for the management of recurrent ovarian cancer.