Dionisia Quiroga, DO, PhD graduated from Michigan State University’s Medical Scientist Training Program where she completed medical school and PhD; her research focused on the pre-clinical development of viral-based cancer vaccine platforms. Following this, she completed her combined internal medicine residency and medical oncology fellowship training through The Ohio State University’s Physician Scientist Training Program. She is currently a breast medical oncology fellow and NIH T32 postdoctoral researcher under the mentorship of Dr. William Carson, III. After finishing her training, she will begin her position as a tenure-track assistant professor and breast medical oncologist in the Division of Medical Oncology at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center (OSUCCC). 

Dr. Quiroga’s research focuses on the immunology of breast cancer and breast cancer-associated conditions. Specifically, her Conquer Cancer Young Investigator Award supported by BCRF will focus on the systemic inflammatory changes that can occur in patients who develop painful swelling of the arm (lymphedema) after lymph node removal for breast cancer treatment. She is also collaborating with surgeons at OSUCCC to determine if lymphedema-treating surgeries, such as lymphovenous bypass, can reverse inflammation and yield a biomarker for clinical and surgical benefit. Her long-term goal is that by studying these inflammatory patterns she will discover new therapeutic and preventive drug targets for breast cancer-associated lymphedema. Dr. Quiroga is also passionate about increasing diversity of the medical workforce and volunteers to help early trainees pursue careers in oncology and academic research. She has assisted in the development of a health disparities curriculum for oncology trainees and is particularly interested in working to remove barriers that prevent equitable patient involvement in clinical research.