2005 Dr Daniela Dinulescu, Center for Cancer Research Massachusetts Institute of Technology

2003 Grant Sellar, University of Edinburgh

In March 2003 I was privileged to attend the 9th Biennial International Forum on Ovarian Cancer having been awarded one of six Travelling Fellowships. I was well aware of these prestigious meetings from their reputation and was extremely eager to be able to participate. The thought of spending four days in a room with a “Who’s Who in ovarian cancer” filled me not only with a sense of excitement but also with a certain fear. However, the latter was instantly forgotten as we commenced the meeting. The Scientific Committee, chaired by Professor Fran Balkwill, should be commended for devising an excellent and exciting programme. The success of any meeting, however, is very much down to the delegates. The atmosphere was friendly and certainly not intimidating, which allowed for a very open and enthusiastic willingness to share data and ideas. I am confident that a number of very interesting and fruitful collaborations will result from this forum.

I just wanted to express my sincere thanks to all those involved in making the HHMT 2003 meeting such a fabulous experience. I thoroughly enjoyed being part of the meeting. All the hard work and dedication that Allyson, John and Geraldine bring to the meeting is very evident. I was delighted to have received a Travelling Fellowship Award to attend and present. My personal highlight is of course being presented with the HHMT 2003 Fellowship Award. In presenting our work at the HHMT, I feel that my role is of the spokesman for what is after all a team effort. This is very much a recognition of the excellent contribution made by all the members of our group in the Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Oncology Unit, and I know that they are also very proud of the Award. It is extremely rewarding for us to receive recognition from colleagues in our fight against ovarian cancer. This Award provides us with encouragement in our work and that we are making progress in the right direction.

Grant Sellar

2001 Monica Jones (née Brown), National Cancer Institute

I became aware of the Helene Harris Memorial Trust Travel Award and Ovarian Cancer Forum while a Cancer Research Training Fellow at the National Cancer Institute. During my fellowship I investigated gene expression profiles in ovarian cancer progression through analysis of cDNA libraries constructed from laser capture microdissected ovarian tumor cells. I was honored to present the results of this work to the attendants of the Helene Harris Memorial Trust 7th Biannial Ovarian Cancer International Forum held in Stockholm, Sweden. My trip to Stockholm and participation in this outstanding meeting was memorable for many reasons. First and foremost, it provided me with the opportunity to meet and learn from ovarian cancer researchers all over the world. The contacts made at this meeting opened up several doors for collaboration that I would not have otherwise had if I had not attended the meeting. I continue to collaborate with these individuals to this day and am extremely grateful to the Harris Family for providing me this opportunity. Secondly, my first visit to Stockholm had special meaning because my first international presentation was on the floor of the Nobel Forum. I hope to return someday with a cure for ovarian cancer or a marker for early detection. Finally, the opportunity to contribute to a book chapter in the most recent edition of Ovarian Cancer was especially rewarding given the quality and comprehensiveness of this body of work.

I re-applied for the travel scholarship two years later and was fortunately awarded the opportunity to return. At the 8th Biannial Ovarian Cancer International Forum in Houston, Texas, I presented the characterization of a novel growth factor for ovarian cancer identified from statistical analysis of the cDNA libraries constructed during my fellowship. This presentation was given the Outstanding Paper Award and participation in this forum also contributed significantly to the advancement of my research.

Currently, I am completing my clinical fellowship training in gynecologic oncology in the division of Gynecologic Surgery at the Mayo Clinic. Although clinically very busy, I am actively researching the potential steroid regulation of my protein and investigating the clinical significance of alternative patterns of metastases for ovarian cancer. I have been inspired to continue my research by the HHMT’s commitment of time, energy and resources to finding a cure for the disease. These experiences and interactions will forever remain integral to my development as a physician scientist.

Monica Brown