Jennifer A. Ligibel

Jennifer A. Ligibel, MD is a Professor at Harvard Medical School and Senior Physician at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's Breast Oncology Center. She directs the Leonard P. Zakim Center for Integrative Therapies and Healthy Living and the Center for Faculty Well-Being at Dana-Farber. Her clinical and research focus spans breast cancer, lifestyle interventions, and physician wellness.

• Education:
  • Washington University School of Medicine (Medical School)
  • Massachusetts General Hospital (Residency in Internal Medicine)
  • Dana-Farber/Partners CancerCare (Fellowship in Hematology/Oncology)

Research Interests: Dr. Ligibel investigates the interplay between energy balance factors (physical activity, body weight) and breast cancer outcomes, with a focus on hormonal mechanisms (insulin, adipocytokines) and biomarker modulation. Her work includes the Breast Cancer Weight Loss (BWEL) Trial (NCT02750826), a Phase III RCT on weight loss interventions in early-stage breast cancer patients with obesity. She also pioneers integrative therapies and faculty burnout mitigation strategies.

Publications Trends: Recent work highlights lifestyle interventions as critical modulators of cancer prognosis, emphasizing scalable clinical trials and translational research linking metabolic pathways to tumor biology.

Awards & Recognitions:

• Hologic, Inc Endowed Women Who Conquer Cancer Mentorship Award (2021)
• ASCO Career Development Award (2004)

Clinical & Leadership Roles: Board-certified in Internal Medicine (1999) and Medical Oncology (2002), she leads Dana-Farber's Healthy Living Program, offering exercise, nutrition, and holistic wellness initiatives for cancer patients. Her leadership also extends to faculty well-being research.