David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles

Beth Y. Karlan, M.D. is Professor and Vice Chair of Women’s Health Research in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). She is also Director of Cancer Population Genetics at the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Karlan’s clinical practice and research focus on ovarian and other women’s cancers, inherited cancer susceptibility and biomarker discovery for early detection and targeted treatment.  Dr. Karlan is passionate about improving care for women with cancer through cutting-edge clinical interventions and more rapid translation of scientific discoveries to the bedside.  A graduate of Harvard-Radcliffe College and Harvard Medical School, she has authored over 375 research publications, is an American Cancer Society Clinical Research Professor, and is Editor-in-Chief of the scientific journals Gynecologic Oncology and Gynecologic Oncology Reports.  She has testified before the US. Congress in support of increased funding for cancer research and for wider public dissemination of cancer risk information.   In 2012, Dr. Karlan was appointed by the White House to serve on the National Cancer Advisory Board and in 2015 she was elected to membership in the National Academy of Medicine. Dr. Karlan is a Fellow of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, and in 2019 was recognized with the OncLive Giants of Cancer award.