Success Stories From Catherine Robson

Professor Jane Visvader is one of the world’s leading breast cancer researchers and joint head of stem cells and cancer research at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research. She is at the forefront of giving women carrying the faulty BRCA1 gene, a precursor to breast cancer, preemptive treatment choices beyond the surgically invasive options of a mastectomy or oophorectomy (removal of the ovaries). Her impressive career spans various areas of science but a remarkable opportunity in 1998 led to her blazing the path of breast cancer treatment she’s on today. Speaking with Catherine Robson in this week’s Success Story, Jane talks about what it’s like to work alongside her husband, the scientific setbacks she’s faced, and her advice for young scientists.