Mary L. (Nora) Disis, MD

Dr. Mary “Nora” Disis is an expert in the immunology and immunotherapy of breast and ovarian cancers. She is dedicated to translating lab discoveries into the clinic for patients and holds several patents for targeted cancer therapies and diagnostics. Dr. Disis’ research interest lies in the discovery of new molecular targets for cancer immunotherapies, particularly vaccines and T-cell therapies. She is one of the investigators who discovered that the molecule HER-2/neu is a tumor-specific marker, or antigen. Today, many widely used cancer drugs target HER-2, and her work has led to several clinical trials testing HER-2–based cancer vaccines. Her group also studies how the immune system could be used to diagnose cancer and develops novel tests for characterizing the immune system. In addition to her research and clinical work, Dr. Disis holds many local and national leadership positions in her field.