Yara Abdou, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Breast Cancer Clinical Trial Program Leader
Areas of Interest
Early stage and metastatic breast cancer; immunotherapy; immune microenvironment; racial disparities; clinical trials.
About
Dr. Abdou specializes in the treatment of both early-stage and metastatic breast cancer. With extensive training and expertise in clinical trial development and implementation, she currently leads the breast cancer clinical trial program at UNC. Her research focuses on developing novel therapies for different breast cancer subtypes, collaborating closely with basic and translational scientists to investigate the breast tumor microenvironment and identify strategies to enhance treatment approaches. Additionally, Dr. Abdou’s research addresses racial disparities in tumor biology and immune microenvironments, with the goal of improving clinical outcomes for minority women with breast cancer. As both a clinician and researcher, her aim is to improve treatment strategies, while minimizing suffering and morbidity for those affected by the disease.
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Undergraduate
Jordan University
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Medical School
Jordan University
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Residency
University of New Mexico
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Fellowship
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, NY
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Research Fellowship
Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
Every doctor tends to choose their specialty based on various reasons; I choose mine because of my patients. Cancer patients carry stories that are unique to medicine, which is where my passion for this field is rooted. Their entire world is often rocked by a diagnosis of cancer, and it is a privilege to be able to contribute to how that period of their lives plays out. That is where my role as a physician becomes deeper, more intense and more personal. The key is understanding that it’s not just the longevity of life that makes it precious, it’s the quality; as a clinician and a researcher, I strive to enhance treatment strategies to prolong my patients’ lives while minimizing their suffering and morbidity from the disease.