@harvardmed ‘28 by way of @davidsoncollege ‘24
Joined September 2019
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Excited to share that my undergrad thesis on Lynch syndrome and somatic mismatch repair deficiency in pancreas cancer was published in @JAMAOnc!🧬 A million thanks to @EmilyHarrold6 @EileenMOReilly @CentralParkWMD @ferguskeane2+ countless others for all the guidance and support😊
Catherine O’Connor retweeted
With the new atlas of colorectal tumors, @KimmieNgMD weighs in with @statnews on why cancers in young people are more dangerous. #ColorectalCancer #STAT
statnews.com/2026/10/29/earl…
Tim was the absolute best and it is an honor to know the Dresser family. 💜 Link here for Tim's fundraiser: secure.pancan.org/site/TR?px…
When Tim’s family and friends came together to honor his memory, they created something truly special: a day filled with community. 💜
Through their PanCAN Wage Hope My Way fundraiser, Jackie, Tim’s widow, their children Evan, Olivia and Grace, and a dedicated group of friends organized Team Up for Tim: Memorial Corn Hole, bringing their hometown of Everett, Massachusetts, together to celebrate Tim’s legacy.
Event organizer Caitlin shared, “Jackie and the kids realized that they wanted to celebrate Tim in a way that would bring his friends and family together just as he would have wanted it.”
And their community showed up in a big way. Hundreds of people gathered to play cornhole, cheer on competitors, participate in raffles, enjoy delicious food and share memories of Tim. There were moments of laughter alongside full and heavy hearts.
Among those who attended were a medical student who met Tim on her first day at the hospital, as well as one of Tim’s pulmonary specialists. Catherine, the medical student, shared a moving speech about Tim and the importance of pancreatic cancer research.
Research was deeply important to Tim. Before his passing from pancreatic cancer, he generously shared his medical information with doctors in the hope of advancing research and helping them better understand the disease. Team Up for Tim carried that commitment forward by raising more than $26,000 to support PanCAN’s $250 million All Together We Can campaign to turn science into survival.
For the friends who helped bring the event to life, being there for Jackie and her children was about more than organizing a fundraiser. It was about showing up for a family they love and helping create a future where survival is the expectation, not the exception.
Want to turn something meaningful to you into an opportunity to make a difference, just as Tim’s family and friends did? Learn more about Wage Hope My Way, PanCAN’s Innovative Fundraising Program, and create a fundraiser of your own at 🔗 pancan.org/diy.
Catherine O’Connor retweeted
🚨 #POLAR trial just published in Nature Medicine
🧬 Pembrolizumab + olaparib as maintenance in metastatic #PancreaticCancer — a new biomarker-driven strategy emerges
🔹 HRD cohort (BRCA/PALB2):
• ORR 35%
• mPFS 8.3 mo
• mOS 28 mo
• 3y OS: 44%
🔹 Did NOT meet primary endpoint… but 👇
💥 Signal matters:
🟣 Durable responses in a subset
🟣 Strong biology: HRD → ↑ neoantigens & TILs
🟣 ctDNA negativity → potential marker of benefit
💡 Take-home:
Not practice-changing yet — but supports PARPi + IO in selected patients
🔗 rdcu.be/e9WmJ
#PancreaticCancer #Immunotherapy #PARP #PrecisionOncology #OncoTwitter
@CentralParkWMD
@CpcrMsk
@MSKCancerCenter
@PICIatMSK
@NatureMedicine
Catherine O’Connor retweeted
🤯🤯
Huge congratulations to @CentralParkWMD for two first-author papers in NEJM and Nature Medicine - on the same day! Truly extraordinary contribution to the field. Proud to be part of this @MSKCancerCenter team! @EileenMOReilly @ciacobu
Presented at #ELCC26:
In a phase 1 trial of setidegrasib, a KRAS G12D degrader, 42% of patients had adverse events of grade 3 or higher; 36% of patients with NSCLC and 24% of those with pancreatic cancer had a response. Full trial results: nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NE…
@myESMO
ALT A figure showing KRAS G12D protein degradation.
It's hard to believe I started working on POLAR my first year of college, and now I am finishing my first clinical rotation on Friday. Endlessly grateful for everything I learned over the past 5 years from @CentralParkWMD, @EileenMOReilly & all the patients who were part of POLAR
1/n Now published in @NatureMedicine : The phase 2 #POLAR trial of pembrolizumab + olaparib maintenance in metastatic pancreatic cancer. @CpcrMsk @MSKCancerCenter @MSK_DeptOfMed @PICIatMSK
rdcu.be/e9WmJ
Catherine O’Connor retweeted
Still pinching myself that I am included in the @washingtonpost Next 50 list this year! Trying every day to live up to this honor and help as many patients as I can! @DanaFarber @DanaFarberNews @DFarberYoungCRC @ASCO
washingtonpost.com/post-next…
Catherine O’Connor retweeted
A new report from @DanaFarber highlights rising rates of GI cancers in young adults - not just #colorectal, but also #pancreatic, #esophageal, #gastric, #biliary & more. @DFarberYoungCRC @KimmieNgMD @SaraKCharMD @CatherineaOC
Read more: bit.ly/40D0kd8
Catherine O’Connor retweeted
Check out our review on early-onset GI cancers now out in @BJSurgery!
Rates of GI cancers in people under 50 are rising 📈 We discuss what is known, the unique needs of this growing patient population, and where to go from here. @CatherineaOC @KimmieNgMD @DFarberYoungCRC
Early-onset gastrointestinal cancers: comprehensive review and future directions
➡️doi.org/10.1093/bjs/znaf102
⏰Early-onset GI cancers represent clinically distinct disease entities that are associated with unique challenges in screening, management, and survivorship
🚨A better understanding of underlying aetiologies, optimized screening strategies, and improved survivorship support are necessary
🧑🤝🧑Meeting the needs of this growing patient population will require a multidisciplinary, equity- based approach in both clinical care and research
Work by @SaraKCharMD, @CatherineaOC and @KimmieNgMD
#SoMe4Surgery #MedTwitter #SurgEd #Surgery @RCPSGTrainees @aecirujanos @SEIQuirurgica @iss_sic #MedicalTechniques @des_winter @evanscolorectal @robhinchliffe1 @bplwijn @MalinASund @nfmkok @TejedorPat @paulo_sutt @PVaughanShaw @JJEarnshaw @juliomayol @ksoreide @BJSAcademy @young_bjs @BJSOpen #colorectalsurgery #StepUp4CRC @FightCRC @ACPGBI #ERAS @dice_europe #Crohn #proctology @Dukes_Club @ACPGBI_EduTrain @AECP_FAECP @PelvExGroup @escp_tweets @YouESCP #TeachMeColoproctology
#Some4COLoprocto @PSOGI_EC #GICancer #EarlyOnset #OncologyCare @CatherineaOC
Catherine O’Connor retweeted
Early-onset gastrointestinal cancers: comprehensive review and future directions
➡️doi.org/10.1093/bjs/znaf102
⏰Early-onset GI cancers represent clinically distinct disease entities that are associated with unique challenges in screening, management, and survivorship
🚨A better understanding of underlying aetiologies, optimized screening strategies, and improved survivorship support are necessary
🧑🤝🧑Meeting the needs of this growing patient population will require a multidisciplinary, equity- based approach in both clinical care and research
Work by @SaraKCharMD, @CatherineaOC and @KimmieNgMD
#SoMe4Surgery #MedTwitter #SurgEd #Surgery @RCPSGTrainees @aecirujanos @SEIQuirurgica @iss_sic #MedicalTechniques @des_winter @evanscolorectal @robhinchliffe1 @bplwijn @MalinASund @nfmkok @TejedorPat @paulo_sutt @PVaughanShaw @JJEarnshaw @juliomayol @ksoreide @BJSAcademy @young_bjs @BJSOpen #colorectalsurgery #StepUp4CRC @FightCRC @ACPGBI #ERAS @dice_europe #Crohn #proctology @Dukes_Club @ACPGBI_EduTrain @AECP_FAECP @PelvExGroup @escp_tweets @YouESCP #TeachMeColoproctology
#Some4COLoprocto @PSOGI_EC #GICancer #EarlyOnset #OncologyCare @CatherineaOC
Catherine O’Connor retweeted
Immediately practice changing and deserves discussion with each pt!
The first RCT supporting structured exercise after adjuvant therapy for colon cancer.
It’s striking how exercise improves survival, especially compared to drugs with FDA approval and payer support. 👀
#ASCO25
Presented at #ASCO25:
A 3-year structured exercise program after adjuvant chemotherapy for colon cancer improved disease-free and overall survival, physical functioning, and fitness, as compared with health education alone. Full CHALLENGE phase 3 trial results: nej.md/4mh5RPL
@ASCO
Catherine O’Connor retweeted
Huge congrats to Dr. Jonathan Lee @Jonathanwlee23 and the @MSKCancerCenter team for presenting a first-of-its-kind clinico-genomic characterization of PALB2-mutated pancreatic cancer at #ASCO25! 🧬🩺
📊 Key takeaways:
— gPALB2 patients presented younger, with more family history & higher rates of biallelic loss
— Durable responses seen with platinum and PARP inhibitors, even in late-line settings
— No statistically significant differences in survival or genomic features between germline vs somatic PALB2—though larger cohorts are needed
🧠 Supports expanding universal genetic screening in PDAC, especially for patients with a family history of cancer.
#GIOnc #PancreaticCancer #Genomics #PrecisionOncology #ASCO25 @ASCOTECAG @HemOncFellows @StadlerZsofia @CentralParkWMD @KelsenDavid @AnnaVarghese4 @FiyinfoluB @MHLars @brindaalagesan @rohit_thum @schoenfeld_j @DrewMoss @EmilyHarrold6 @CatherineaOC
Catherine O’Connor retweeted
Excited to present our study on the association between inflammatory diet pattern and survival in colon cancer - catch it Sunday 6/1 at 4:30 Hall B1!
Sara K. Char, MD @SaraKCharMD @DanaFarber will present the findings of a dietary and lifestyle substudy based on data from CALGB/SWOG 80702 (Alliance) at #ASCO25. Read more about Alliance at ASCO: bit.ly/AllianceAtASCO #NCI @ALLIANCE_org #NCI #NCTN #NCORP
Excited to have this out!! Was so fun to work with @DrewMoss, @ferguskeane2, @FionnualaCrowle + more (as always 😊)
Adjuvant mFOLFIRINOX for Resected Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma (PDAC): Clinical Insights and Genomic Features from a Large Contemporary Cohort academic.oup.com/jnci/articl… Congrats to @ferguskeane2 @CatherineaOC @FiyinfoluB @DrewMoss for very thoughtful compilation synthesis of data!
Catherine O’Connor retweeted
Adjuvant mFOLFIRINOX for Resected Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma (PDAC): Clinical Insights and Genomic Features from a Large Contemporary Cohort academic.oup.com/jnci/articl… Congrats to @ferguskeane2 @CatherineaOC @FiyinfoluB @DrewMoss for very thoughtful compilation synthesis of data!
Catherine O’Connor retweeted
Delighted to have been a part of this study and to see it in print 🙌.
An important single institution study led by @EileenMOReilly from @MSKCancerCenter in @JNCI_Now
Adjuvant Modified FOLFIRINOX for Resected Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma (PDAC): Clinical Insights and Genomic Features from a Large Contemporary Cohort
academic.oup.com/jnci/advanc…
With all the caveats of a retrospective single center study, and limitations of small genetic subsets (like only a few HRD patients that may explain the absence of correlation with improved response), this is still an important demonstration for WHY earlier detection, successful surgery and timely administration of adjuvant therapy (even with reduced doses) is SO pivotal to longer survival.
OS stratified by age below.
Catherine O’Connor retweeted
An important single institution study led by @EileenMOReilly from @MSKCancerCenter in @JNCI_Now
Adjuvant Modified FOLFIRINOX for Resected Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma (PDAC): Clinical Insights and Genomic Features from a Large Contemporary Cohort
academic.oup.com/jnci/advanc…
With all the caveats of a retrospective single center study, and limitations of small genetic subsets (like only a few HRD patients that may explain the absence of correlation with improved response), this is still an important demonstration for WHY earlier detection, successful surgery and timely administration of adjuvant therapy (even with reduced doses) is SO pivotal to longer survival.
OS stratified by age below.
The best last-minute dinner plans!! Grateful to have such wonderful mentors and missing the team in NYC a bit extra today 🥹💜@CentralParkWMD @EileenMOReilly @MHLars
Weekend spent well 🥰 visiting Boston~ so lovely 💜 🏃🏻 a bit for the #TCSNYCMarathon 2024 @nyrr with @IRDocDay Beautiful cool weather today~ Enjoyed amazing regatta rowing 🚣♀️ race in Charles River 🌊and visited my favorite mentee @CatherineaOC Missing my research team in NYC!!
Catherine O’Connor retweeted
1 more week to see @lifelinemusical!!
Best ⚡️talk for last!! Incredible presentation + poster on how hepcidin-mediated iron sequestration limits CD8+ tumor infiltrating lymphocytes in PDAC @schoenfeld_j 🧬😊
Catherine O’Connor retweeted
An incredible team from MSK are sharing research their #ESMO24.
Extremely fortunate 💜to have the best mentor @EileenMOReilly and mentee @CatherineaOC A strong teamwork at @MSKCancerCenter We are sharing each other's slides in transatlantic presentations at #AACRpan24 and #ESMO24 A lot of active research👨🔬@CpcrMsk Congrats! Keynote 📢speech
