Lynn Dressler’s background spans translational research in breast cancer, health policy and bioethics. Her training and experience in the policy arena, coupled with the ethical issues associated with human genetic and genomic research, serve as a bridge between scientific discovery and practical implementation. Overall, her interests are to address the policy and ethical issues faced in integrating pharmacogenomics into clinical practice and integrating research ethics into the scientific process.  

As a translational researcher in breast cancer, she has worked at the interface between the laboratory and practice, evaluating promising new tumor markers to predict prognosis and response to therapy. Her laboratory at UNC Lineberger Cancer Center performed the clinical research study that demonstrated clinical validity and directly lead  to the FDA approval of the HER2 FISH assay (Abbott Pathvysion kit™). This test is now used throughout the U.S. and Europe to predict response to immunotherapy (trastuzamab; (Herceptin™) and doxorubicin in breast cancer patients. The HER2 story is one of the leading examples illustrating how the pharmacogenetics of somatic tissue can help direct individualized therapy.

Dressler is Principal Investigator on one of five projects of the NIH/NHGRI designated Center of Excellence in Ethical, Legal, Social Implications (ELSI) Research (CEER) at UNC, one of eight such sites in the United States. Her study is a multi-case study policy analysis of the large, early NIH Genetic Research efforts (SNP/HAPMAP and Environment-Genetics Polymorphisms) which have now generated data that are being used by secondary investigators. This study will examine lessons learned in these early experiences and how they can be applied to policy development needs of future genomic studies. Dressler also serves as the co-director of the Research Ethics Consultation Core, a service to help investigators, administrators, IRBs, etc. think through the challenging ELSI issues inherent in many of today’s research.

Dressler is completing the last year of a U10 award (of which she is PI), a laboratory study evaluating RNA and protein expression that may predict response to oral capecitabine and standard chemotherapy in elder breast cancer patients.

“We have the opportunity to not only help usher in a new era and standard of care in the practice of medicine, but also develop a programmatic model for effective, equitable and responsible integration of genomic information into medical practice,” she says.

Teaching

Dressler participates in a variety of guest lectures related to the ethical, legal, social, and policy issues involved in performing genomic and genetic research and translating research into practice, especially in the context of pharmacogenomics.

Affiliations

National:

• Invited Member, CDC Evaluation of Genomic Assays for Prevention and Practice (EGAPP) Stakeholder’s Group.
• American Association for Cancer Reseracher (AACR)-National Cancer Institute (NCI)-Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Cancer Biomarkers Collaborative. Member, Biospecimen and Clinical Assay Working Groups
• Chair, Regulatory and Ethics Subcommittee. National Cancer Institute (NCI)  Clinical Trials Group     Banking Committee (GBC).
• Co-Chair, Biospecimen and Correlative Science Advisory Committee of the  Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB), an NCI-sponsored cooperative oncology clinical trials group;
• NIH/NHGRI Inter CEER Policy Working Group: National Human Genome Research Institute Trans Centers of Excellence in Ethical, Legal, Social Research.
• Cadre Member: Ethics, Breast, Health Services Research, Cancer Control and Health Outcomes Committees of the Cancer and Leukemia Group B
• Member: American Society of Bioethics and Humanities; American Society of Clinical Oncology

Within UNC-Chapel Hill:

• Office of Human Research Ethics. IRB Committee Member.
• UNC Vice Chancellor’s ad hoc Committee on Tissue Banks and DNA Repositories.