Research at Fox Chase »Research Areas »Research Programs

Senior Advisor to the President

Scientific Reports:	Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) in Ovarian Cancer Medical Oncology: Clinical Trials Research The Biology of Ovarian Cancer (These links require Adobe® Acrobat Reader to view)
Research Programs:	Ovarian Cancer
Other Links:	Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) in Ovarian Cancer Gynecological Cancer

A leader in advancing chemotherapy research, Ozols is internationally recognized for his expertise in ovarian cancer. In his time at Fox Chase he has led a research team that developed new clinical approaches to treating women with ovarian cancer, including a chemotherapy regimen that combined paclitaxel (Taxol) and carboplatin, which became the worldwide standard for this disease.

In recent years he served as senior vice president and chief clinical officer at Fox Chase Cancer Center, where he oversaw all patient care and clinical research. He stepped down in summer 2009 to take on a new role as senior advisor to the institution.

His laboratory research focused on how cancer cells develop drug resistance and on strategies for overcoming it. Resistance to chemotherapy, which often occurs in patients with ovarian cancer, is a major treatment obstacle in a number of adult cancers. He was the principal investigator for Fox Chase Cancer Center's Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) grant in ovarian cancer from the National Cancer Institute from 1999-2008. Ozols held the Audrey Weg Schaus and Geoffrey Alan Weg Chair in Medical Science at Fox Chase.

For his contributions to cancer research and treatment, Ozols received the 25th Annual Bristol-Myers Squibb Award for Distinguished Achievement in Cancer Research in 2002 (shared with Robert C. Young, MD), the 1990 Cancer Research Award from the Milken Family Medical Foundation, and the Ninth Claude Jacquillat Award in Clinical Research in 2001.

The author of many scientific publications, Ozols has served on numerous editorial boards, including those of the International Journal of Gynecologic Cancer, International Journal of Oncology, Cancer Investigation, Journal of Experimental Therapeutics and Oncology, and Clinical Cancer Research.

He has served on the Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee of the Food and Drug Administration (1995-1999). He is a member of several professional organizations, including the American Society of Clinical Investigation, American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), and American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). He was vice president of the International Gynecologic Cancer Society from 2002-2004. He has served on the board of directors of ASCO (2000-2003), and the Association of American Cancer Institutes (1999-2001).

Born in Latvia in 1944, Ozols earned his BS in chemistry in 1966, his PhD in biochemistry in 1971, and his MD in 1974 at University of Rochester in New York. He completed his internship and residency at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Hanover, New Hampshire.

Before coming to Fox Chase in 1988, Ozols had headed the experimental therapeutics section of the National Cancer Institute’s Medicine Branch since 1984. He joined the branch in 1976 as a clinical associate. Ozols held the rank of medical director (captain) in the Public Health Service, receiving the PHS Outstanding Unit Award in 1984 and 1988 and a PHS Commendation Medal in 1987.