Photo Caption: Dr. David Huntsman, genetic pathologist and director of the Ovarian Cancer Research (OvCaRe) Program of BC at the VCH Research Institute and BC Cancer Agency

Dr. David Huntsman, genetic pathologist and director of the Ovarian Cancer Research (OvCaRe) Program of BC at the VCH Research Institute and BC Cancer Agency, has been selected as the inaugural recipient of the Karen Campbell National Award for Research Excellence. The award recognizes excellence in research that has had a significant impact on the understanding and treatment of ovarian cancer - the most fatal gynecologic cancer in Canada.

Dr. Huntsman and his team's groundbreaking research is opening up new horizons for the diagnosis and treatment of ovarian cancer. Recent successes include the discovery that ovarian cancer is not one disease, but that it is made up of five subtypes that behave like distinct diseases, changing the way it is diagnosed and treated; application of new genomic technologies to decode the DNA sequence of these specific subtypes of ovarian cancer and the variants that cause them; and the development of a broad based personalized medicine initiative for British Columbia.

In honour of Karen, who passed away from ovarian cancer in 2010 at the age of 57, four of her friends came together with Ovarian Cancer Canada to create the award to raise funds and awareness of the disease. Dr. Huntsman will be presented with the award at the Ovarian Cancer Canada's fundraising event LOVE HER on February 23, 2012 in Toronto and celebrated at LOVE HER in Vancouver on February 29, 2012.

In September 2011, Dr. Huntsman was also awarded the inaugural Virginia Greene leadership award for ovarian cancer research and advocacy.

To learn more about the OvCaRe initiative that was important to Virginia Greene.