Dr. Yara Abdou is an Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina (UNC) and a breast medical oncologist at the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. She leads the Breast Cancer Clinical Trials Program at UNC. Her research focuses on developing novel therapies and investigating biomarkers of disease recurrence and treatment response. Dr. Abdou’s research is also dedicated to addressing racial disparities in breast cancer outcomes and improving care for minority women. As part of the Robert A. Winn Clinical Diversity Program, she actively works to enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion in clinical trials and research studies.  Her work has been recognized with awards from prestigious organizations, including the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, and the American Association for Cancer Research. She has authored numerous original research publications and has been an invited speaker at national and international conferences.