Setsuko K Chambers, MD

Cancer Biology Program

Biography

Dr. Setsuko Chambers is one of the few nationally recognized Gynecologic Oncologists elected to the National Academy of Medicine. She specializes in gynecologic cancers and is one of the few gynecologic oncologist physician-scientists in the country, active as both a researcher and clinical gynecologic oncologist. 

Dr. Chambers received her BS and MD degrees from Brown University. She completed her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology and a fellowship in Gynecologic Oncology at Yale University. She was the first female tenured professor in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

At the University of Arizona Cancer Center, Dr. Chambers is the Director of Women's Cancers and holds the Bobbi Olson Endowed Chair in Ovarian Cancer Research.

Cancer Focus

Dr. Chambers’ expertise spans basic through translational research, clinical trials, to active clinical care.  She runs several innovative chemotherapy trials in gynecologic cancer, open at the University of Arizona Cancer Center (UACC). She served as UACC Cancer Biology Program co-Director from 2008 to 2013.

She directs a laboratory devoted to understanding the molecular basis for breast and ovarian cancer metastasis and initiation. Her laboratory continues to study UTR regulators of gene expression, including RNA binding proteins, miRNAs, and other more novel means of regulation including via RNA epigenetics or mRNA 3' end polymorphism.

She developed in 2004, and continues to serve as Director of the only clinic for individuals at high risk for breast, ovarian and other hereditary cancers in Arizona, situated at UACC. She has developed biomarker trials for women at risk for gynecologic cancer.  

She established in 2006, and continues to serve as Principal Investigator, of the UACC Tumor Biorepository.

She serves as Gynecologic Cancer Clinical Trials team director since 2004.