Heather Parsons to lead Fred Hutch’s breast cancer initiatives
Medical oncologist Heather Parsons, MD, MPH, witnessed how cancer affects the entire family when her younger sister was diagnosed with melanoma in childhood. It’s an experience that helped her understand what cancer patients and their loved ones go through during their treatments.
Depending on the progression of the illness and how the patient responds to treatment, they often work with the same oncology team for months or even years. Years later, her sister now thriving, Parsons remembers her sister’s diagnosis and treatment as a challenging time for her family.
Parsons’ desire to help improve that experience for patients and their families led her to specialize in oncology, specifically breast cancer treatment and research.
She joined Fred Hutch Cancer Center last month as program head of the Breast Oncology Program. She is also an associate professor in the Fred Hutch Clinical Research Division and an associate professor in the Division of Hematology and Oncology at the University of Washington School of Medicine.
Previously a physician at Dana Farber Cancer Center in Boston, Parsons treated breast cancer patients and conducted research on new ways to test a person’s blood for signs of cancer, both to understand how cancers change over time and to help guide choices for therapy. Parsons plans to continue that research at Fred Hutch.
In recognition of her significant achievements to date, Parsons was awarded the Maudslien Endowed Chair in Breast Cancer Precision Oncology Research.
“I'm very humbled and honored by this endowed chair, and it feels like a mandate to both be able to lead this breast cancer program and to develop the science that I've been working on from my time in Boston,” Parsons said. “I’m looking forward to leading this group of really incredible breast cancer researchers and doctors to help reduce the burden of breast cancer on our patients and in the world.”
Parsons will split her time between leading research at Fred Hutch and patient care at the Sloan Clinic.
“It’s wonderful to welcome Heather to Fred Hutch as the new program head in Breast Oncology,” said Fred Hutch President Thomas J. Lynch Jr., MD, holder of the Raisbeck Endowed Chair. "Her dual commitment to compassionate patient care and innovative research embodies the heart of our mission. With her leadership, we look forward to elevating clinical excellence and driving transformative progress in breast cancer research."