Jennifer Ligibel, MD
Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Senior Physician, Breast Oncology Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Director, Leonard P. Zakim Center for Integrative Therapies and Healthy Living
Highlights
- Inaugural director of the Center for Faculty Well-Being at Dana-Farber
- Recipient of the Hologic, Inc. Endowed Women Who Conquer Cancer Mentorship Award, 2021
Jennifer Ligibel, MD, is a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and senior physician in the Breast Oncology Center at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Her research examines how physical activity and body weight influence cancer risk and outcomes.
Dr. Ligibel has led more than a dozen randomized trials evaluating exercise and weight-loss interventions on outcomes such as cardiorespiratory fitness, cancer-related biomarkers, body composition, and quality of life. This work culminated in the Breast Cancer Weight Loss (BWEL) Trial, the only fully powered phase III clinical trial testing the effect of a weight-loss program on invasive disease-free survival in women with early-stage breast cancer and obesity.
She also directs the Leonard P. Zakim Center for Integrative Therapies and Healthy Living, which offers exercise classes, nutrition seminars, cooking demonstrations, and wellness programs for patients during and after treatment. As the inaugural director of the Center for Faculty Well-Being at Dana-Farber, Dr. Ligibel studies burnout in academic physicians and designs interventions to promote resilience and wellness. She received the Hologic, Inc. Endowed Women Who Conquer Cancer Mentorship Award in 2021 for her leadership and mentorship.