The Scientist Searching for Answers to Ovarian Cancer
OTTAWA — In a laboratory filled with microscopes, research data and years of unanswered questions, Dr. Barbara Vanderhyden is working toward a goal that could change the lives of women facing ovarian cancer.
A leading ovarian cancer researcher at the University of Ottawa and the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Vanderhyden has spent decades investigating how the disease begins, develops and spreads. Her research examines cancer risk factors, individual cancer cells and the genes that influence the disease.
The work is complex and painstaking. But every discovery brings researchers closer to understanding a disease that can be difficult to detect and treat.
Finding new ways to prevent ovarian cancer and developing treatments
Today, Vanderhyden and her team are focusing on two major challenges: finding new ways to prevent ovarian cancer and developing treatments that could harness the body’s immune system to fight the disease. These approaches could eventually lead to earlier intervention and more effective treatments for patients.
Turning Promising Ideas Into Meaningful Advances
Vanderhyden’s influence extends beyond the laboratory. She has helped strengthen Canada’s ovarian cancer research community and has advocated for greater investment in scientific research. Collaboration and funding, she says through her work, are essential to turning promising ideas into meaningful advances.
She is also committed to inspiring the next generation of scientists. Through programs such as Let’s Talk Science and Science Travels, she has helped bring science education to students across Canada, including young people in remote First Nations and Inuit communities.
For Vanderhyden, the search for answers is about more than scientific discovery. It is about transforming research into possibilities—and giving future patients more options, better treatments and, ultimately, more hope.
As part of our 2026-2027 Speakers Series, CFUW Perth & District is honoured to present Dr. Vanderhyden on:
Monday October 19th
from 6:45pm to 8pm
at the Perth Legion, 26 Beckwith St E.
Everyone is welcome! Please send any questions to Shelley Ball at: shellsphoto44@gmail.com.
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