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Beth-Karlan Photo

Is Super
Southern California Super Doctors
Specialty:
Obstetrics and Gynecology, Gynecological Oncology
Department Affiliation:
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Hospital Affiliation:
Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center
UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center
State License:
G57519
Phone:
310-205-0771
Health Plans:
Accepted Plans
  • About Me
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About Me

Academic and medical staff appointments: Professor and Vice Chair Women’s Health Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology- Director, Cancer Population Genetics, UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center

Professional memberships:
National Academy of Medicine
National Cancer Policy Forum
National Cancer Advisory Board
Society of Gynecologic Oncology (Past President)
Fellow, American Society of Clinical Oncology
Fellow, American College of Surgeons
Fellow, American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology
UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center
American Medical Association
Association of Women's Surgeons
International Gynecologic Cancer Society

An internationally renowned physician-scientist and recognized expert on ovarian cancer, Dr. Karlan has more than 30 years of experience treating women with gynecologic cancers and investigating pressing clinical and translational questions related to gynecologic malignancies. Her clinical practice is dedicated to delivering cutting-edge compassionate cancer care to women and their families, and her research focuses on understanding the genetic drivers and phenotypic determinants of ovarian cancer, as well as hereditary predisposition to cancers, and molecular biomarkers for early detection, treatment, and prognostication. In 1989 she established a human tissue biorepository to collect fresh frozen tissue, serum, and germline DNA from women with ovarian and other gynecologic cancers in order to study cancers' biologic differences and develop improved treatments. This resource has been used in national and international collaborations including The Cancer Genome Atlas project (TCGA), Consortium of Investigators of Modifiers of BRCA1/2 (CIMBA), and Ovarian Cancer Association Consortium (OCAC) - partnerships that have helped to shape current standards of care for gynecologic oncology.


Dr. Karlan has also been at the forefront of scientific and clinical efforts related to women/families with BRCA and other cancer predisposition and inherited mutations. She currently serves as co-PI on a national effort using a digital platform to implement population-based genetic testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. Dr. Karlan holds several patents related to ovarian cancer research and has received multiple recognitions for her work including an American Cancer Society Research Professorship, the Society of Gynecologic Oncology Distinguished Service Award, the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance Rosalind Franklin Award for Excellence in Ovarian Cancer Research, and the National Cancer Institute Director's Service Award.
Board-certified in both obstetrics and gynecology and gynecologic oncology, Dr. Karlan received her undergraduate degree at Harvard-Radcliffe College and completed her medical degree at Harvard Medical School. She completed both a Clinical Residency and Post Doctoral Research Fellowship at Yale University and a Fellowship in Gynecologic Oncology at UCLA School of Medicine. After almost 30 years leading the gynecologic oncology program at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Dr. Karlan returned to UCLA in 2019 as Professor and Vice-Chair, Women's Health Research in Obstetrics and Gynecology and Director of Cancer Population Genetics at UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.


In addition to her busy clinical practice and robust research portfolio, Dr. Karlan is passionate about training the next generation of clinicians and scientists, as well as advocating for women's health and the specialty of gynecologic oncology. She actively participates in medical student, residency, and fellowship training at UCLA is co-author of Surgery for Ovarian Cancer: Principles and Practice, and is Editor-in-Chief of her specialty's journals Gynecologic Oncology and Gynecologic Oncology Reports. Dr. Karlan was appointed by President Barack Obama to the National Cancer Advisory Board and is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine. She serves on multiple non-profit Boards and is Vice-Chair of the Board of Overseers for Harvard University.

Comprehensive expertise:

  • hereditary cancer syndromes
  • BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations
  • ovarian cancer surgery and treatment
  • ovarian neoplasms
  • uterine cancer surgery and treatment
  • cervical cancer surgery and treatment
  • cancer chemotherapy, immunotherapy, hormone therapy, and other targeted therapies
  • clinical trials
  • biomedical research
Links
uclahealth.org/community-cancercare
uclahealth.org/community-cancercare/beverly-hills
uclahealth.org/obgyn
Primary Office
Beverly Hills Cancer Care
120 S. Spalding Dr.
Suite 401
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
Get Directions
View Map
Phone
310-205-0771
Fax
310-205-0801
Medical Board Certifications
Obstetrics and Gynecology, American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 1990
Certification 2
Gynecologic Oncology, American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 1991
Fellowship
Gynecologic Oncology, UCLA School of Medicine, 1987-1989
Residency
Obstetrics & Gynecology, Yale-New Haven Hospital - Internship/Residency Verification, 1982-1986
Degree
Harvard Medical School, MD, 1982
Interests
  • Hereditary Breast Cancer
  • Hereditary Ovarian Cancer
  • Ovarian Cancer

    Ovarian Cancer: Introduction

    Many types of tumors can start growing in the ovaries. Some are benign. This means that they’re not cancer. Benign tumors don’t spread. They can usually be treated by removing one ovary or part of the ovary. Ovarian cancer, however, is a malignant (cancerous) tumor. If a cancerous tumor isn’t treated, it can grow and spread to other parts of your body.
    Learn more >
  • Uterine Cancer

    Uterine Sarcoma: Introduction

    Uterine sarcoma is a type of cancer that starts in the muscular wall of the uterus. (This part of the uterus is called the myometrium.) Most uterine cancers are not uterine sarcoma, they are endometrial cancers. The start in the inner lining of the uterus.
    Learn more >
Publications
Link to Dr. Karlan's PubMed >

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=karlan+by

Chapters/Textbooks:

Surgery forOvarian Cancer: Principles and Practice, 3Edition CRC Press, Robert E Bristow, Beth Y Karlan, Dennis S Chi (eds), Taylor and Francis Publishing, United Kingdome 2016

Danforth’s 10Edition Obstetrics and Gynecology(multiple languages), Ronald S Gibbs, Beth Y Karlan, Arthur F Haney, Ingrid E Nygaard (eds), Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, Philadelphia, PA 2008

Gynecologic Oncology: Clinical Practice and Surgical Atlas(English, Spanish and Chinese), Beth Y Karlan, Robert E Bristow and Andrew J Li (eds), McGraw-Hill Publishers, New York New York, 2012

Grants:
Continuation of Follow-up of DES Exposed Cohorts- National Institutes of Health/University of Massachusetts, Principal Investigator
Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts Alter the Composition of β Cells in Solid Malignancies– National Cancer Institute, Co-Investigator
Immune Infiltrate Dynamics in Cancer Progression, Department of Defense, Co-Investigator
Co-Evolution of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer and Tumor Stroma, Ovarian Cancer Research Fund, Principal Investigator
Untapped Therapeutic Targets in the Tumor Microenvironment, Department of Defense, Co-Investigator
In The News
  • Beth Karlan, Director, Cancer Population Genetics
  • UCLA physician-scientist honored for advancing the field of oncology
  • Researcher looks for ways to detect deadly cancer before it develops
  • Ovarian Cancer Survivor Stories
  • Marvels in Medicine: Dr. Karlan on breaking down gender barriers in gynecologic oncology
  • Two named to lead Overseers
  • Ending the fear of cancer
  • ‘This terrible disease’: Ovarian cancer is deadly, but new tests, treatments start to emerge
  • 2016 "Beverly Hills Tomorrow 2021: A Vision of the Future; An Interview with CNN's Larry King"
  • 2016 CBS Evening News, various print and television media: Report on the State of the Science on Ovarian Cancer Research, national release from the National
Awards
  • 2020 “100 in 100”, Recognizing 100 Trailblazing Women at UCLA Health on 100th Anniversary of the passage of 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution
  • 2019 Recipient, Spirit of Hope Award, Tower Cancer Research Foundation
  • 2019 Recipient, Giants of Cancer Care Award in Gynecologic Malignancies
  • 2019 Gynecologic Oncology: Clinical Practice and Surgical Atlas named Core Title in Obstetrics & Gynecology, Doody Enterprises Core Titles in the Health Sciences
  • 2019 Los Angeles Magazine Top Doctors
  • 2018 Director's Service Award, National Cancer Institute
  • 2018 Fellow of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (FASCO)
  • 2016 Pioneer in Medicine Award, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
  • 2016 Triumph Award, American Cancer Society
  • 2015 Rosalind Franklin Excellence in Ovarian Cancer Research Award, Ovarian Cancer National Alliance
  • 2015 Claudia Cohen Prize for Outstanding Gynecologic Researcher, Foundation for Women's Cancer
  • 2015 Distinguished Service Award, Society of Gynecologic Oncology
  • 2012 Ten Women Leaders Who Impact LA, Los Angeles Magazine, Game Changers 2
  • 2012 Nominated for the PROSE Award Association of American Publishers
  • 2011 - 2017 Professorship, American Cancer Society
  • 2011 Honoree , American Cancer Society's Southern California Invitational 2011 Harvard Physician Leadership in Academic Medicine Program
  • 2008 Margaret Greenfield/Carmel Cohen M.D. Prize for Excellence in Ovarian Cancer Research Gynecologic Cancer Foundation
  • 2006-2011 Early Detection Professorship
  • American Cancer Society, California Division
Webinar URL

Webinars

Personalizing Ovarian Cancer: Knowing your Genetics
Beth Karlan, MD click here to update your profile
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