Martina Bazzaro Lab

University of Minnesota

Transforming Ovarian Cancer Through Precision Science, AI, and Collaboration

At the University of Minnesota, Dr. Martina Bazzaro leads a highly collaborative and internationally engaged research program dedicated to improving outcomes for patients facing ovarian cancer—particularly the most aggressive and treatment-resistant forms of the disease.

Her laboratory focuses on understanding why ovarian cancer becomes chemoresistant, resistant to immune-therapy, and prone to recurrence, with the goal of translating biological discovery into meaningful clinical impact for patients and families.

A Patient-Focused Scientific Mission

Ovarian cancer remains one of the most challenging gynecologic cancers because many patients are diagnosed at advanced stages and eventually develop resistance to standard therapies.

Our research is driven by urgent clinical needs, including:

Chemoresistant ovarian cancer
Immune-therapy resistance
Recurrent and metastatic disease
Tumor heterogeneity and evolution
Biology underlying high-grade serous and clear cell ovarian cancer
APERRP-associated pathways in aggressive disease

We aim to understand not only how ovarian cancer develops, but why it stops responding to treatment—and how to change that outcome.

OPAL: Advancing Discovery Through Digital Pathology and AI

Dr. Bazzaro established OPAL, the first integrated digital pathology library of ovarian cancer specimens designed to accelerate translational research.

OPAL combines patient-derived tumor tissue, high-resolution imaging, and artificial intelligence–based analysis to:

Identify biomarkers that predict treatment response and resistance
Decode tumor–immune and tumor–stroma interactions
Characterize spatial and molecular features of tumor progression
Support reproducible, data-driven discovery across institutions

This platform is helping transform how ovarian cancer is studied—bridging the gap between laboratory discovery and patient impact.

Why This Work Matters to Patients and Families

For patients diagnosed with ovarian cancer, especially advanced or recurrent disease, treatment outcomes often depend on whether tumors will respond—or stop responding—to therapy.

Our research is focused on answering critical questions:

Why does chemotherapy stop working over time?
Why do some tumors resist immune-based treatments?
Can we predict resistance before treatment begins?
Can we identify vulnerabilities that allow more effective therapies to be developed?

By addressing these questions, we aim to move closer to a future where ovarian cancer is detectable earlier, treated more precisely, and managed more effectively over time.

Join our Commitment to Progress

Our progress towards research would not be possible without the support of those who donate funds to the research.

Follow the link or scan the QR code below to donate to the research fund.

Donate to the Research Fund

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