The Life of a New Faculty Academic Gynecologic Oncologist: Science + Medicine with Dr. Laura Chambers

Dr. Laura Chambers is a gynecologic oncologist and principle investigator at The Ohio State University James Cancer Hospital. Laura graduated from Midwestern University Chicago with her DO and completed residency in OBGYN and fellowship in Gyn Onc at the Cleveland Clinic. She now practices at OSU and studies the effects of the microbiome on gynecologic cancer outcomes. As a fun aside, Laura and I work together on many research projects, and we recently published a commentary in Cell Host and Microbe on exciting stage 1 clinical trial data supporting the use of Fecal Microbiota Transplant to improve immunotherapy response in patients who previously did not respond. 

In this conversation, I wanted to talk with Laura to learn more about the unique clinical capabilities of a gynecologic oncologist. This continues my recent interviews with folks who practice different types of oncology, specifically from the academic perspective. Gyn Onc as a specialty is unique as it not only serves a very important clinical purpose, but it is the only oncologic specialty in which the same physician can complete a patient’s surgery and also manage any kind of systemic therapy they may receive. We discuss these details as well as how Laura balances this busy clinical career with her research goals and personal life. As a physician scientist who balances time with her family extremely well, I wanted to pick her brain on how she is capable of doing it all. I respect Dr. Chambers a great deal for many reasons, but one of the most pertinent is how much she cares about all aspects of her life, and how great she is even in the face of tough times and adversity.