PUBLISHED: 9th June 2026
Hereditary cancer has shaped my family’s story in ways I never could have imagined. After watching my father and brother face cancer—and after learning that a pathogenic BRCA2 mutation helped explain generations of cancer in my family—I came to understand how profoundly genetic information can change not only medical decisions, but the way a person thinks about family, purpose and the future.
At the time, I was a law firm partner practicing law in New York. But after my brother died from metastatic breast cancer and I learned that I also carried a BRCA2 mutation, my life took a different direction. I left law to pursue a PhD at Columbia University, where my research now focuses on how BRCA2 mutations influence pancreatic cancer development. My hope is to help move the science forward, even if only a little, so that future families—including my own children—may have better options for prevention, interception and care.
I volunteer with FORCE because no one should have to navigate hereditary cancer risk alone. FORCE gives people credible information, community and a voice at moments when they may feel overwhelmed or isolated. Through my work as a Research Advocate, I have been honored to contribute the perspective of someone who lives with inherited cancer risk, has experienced its impact personally, and now works on the science behind it. Volunteering allows me to help ensure that research, clinical care and industry conversations remain grounded in the lived experiences of patients, previvors and families.