Breakthroughs in breast cancer research are changing what’s possible for patients—from earlier detection to more precise treatments and better outcomes. Bringing that progress into patient care also requires highly trained specialists with the expertise to detect cancer, make accurate diagnoses, guide treatment decisions, and provide compassionate care at some of the most consequential moments in a patient’s life.
That’s why Lynn Sage invests not only in research, but also in the physicians who will put that progress into practice.
Through the Lynn Sage Breast Fellows Program, your support helps make advanced, specialized training possible for physicians pursuing careers dedicated to breast cancer. Working alongside leading physicians and researchers, Fellows gain intensive experience that prepares them to provide exceptional care and become leaders in their fields.
This year, we’re proud to welcome two new Lynn Sage Breast Fellows at Northwestern: Dr. Shilpa Reddy, Breast Imaging Fellow, and Dr. Menghan Zhao, Breast Surgical Oncology Fellow. Together, they represent two distinct but deeply connected areas of breast cancer care, and two examples of your investment in action.
Dr. Shilpa Reddy: Helping Find Breast Cancer Earlier
For Dr. Shilpa Reddy, the path to breast imaging is both professional and personal.
After completing her undergraduate education, medical school training, and radiology residency at Northwestern, Dr. Reddy chose to pursue the additional specialized training required to become a breast radiologist, a field that combines advanced imaging expertise with direct patient care.
“I was drawn to breast imaging because I wanted to contribute to early detection of breast cancer, provide compassionate care, and guide patients through life-altering decisions,” said Dr. Reddy.
Seeing members of her own family diagnosed with breast cancer only deepened that commitment.
Breast imaging specialists play an essential role throughout the diagnostic process, using their expertise to identify potential cancers and help patients navigate what can be an uncertain and emotional experience. For Dr. Reddy, the opportunity to combine that technical expertise with patient advocacy is central to the physician she hopes to become.
Through her Fellowship, which places her in the breast imaging division lead by Lynn Sage Medical Advisory Board member Dr. Georgia Spear, donor support is helping Dr. Reddy develop that expertise while creating opportunities to contribute to research and advocate for patients.
She sees the importance of that investment extending beyond her own training.
“Increasing the number of specialty-trained breast imagers is crucial to ensuring that patients receive timely and accurate diagnoses of breast cancer,” explained Dr. Reddy.
Dr. Menghan Zhao: Bringing Science and Compassion to Breast Cancer Surgery
Dr. Menghan Zhao was drawn to breast surgical oncology by the opportunity to combine science, collaboration, and deeply personal patient care.
Originally from Little Rock, Arkansas, Dr. Zhao’s trained at Williams College, the University of Southern California, and the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston before coming to Northwestern. Now, as a Breast Surgical Oncology Fellow, she is receiving advanced training focused specifically on caring for people with breast cancer.
“I was drawn to the multidisciplinary, science-driven care for those with breast cancer and the impact it can have on patients’ lives,” said Dr. Zhao.
Breast surgical oncology requires more than surgical expertise. Caring for someone with breast cancer means working across specialties and using the best available evidence to help each patient navigate decisions unique to their diagnosis, treatment, and life.
Through her Lynn Sage Fellowship, Dr. Zhao is deepening her ability to provide care grounded in both the latest science and the individual needs of each patient.
Asked what a fellowship means to her, Dr. Zhao said, “It means I will be able to learn from experts in the field on how to provide patient-centered, evidence-based, compassionate oncologic care.”.
More Than Training: The Power of Mentorship
That opportunity to learn from experts extends well beyond a Fellow’s individual specialty.
Breast cancer care is inherently multidisciplinary. A patient’s care may bring together breast imagers, surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, pathologists, genetic specialists, researchers, and others—each contributing a different perspective to diagnosis and treatment.
Your support places Lynn Sage Fellows within this collaborative environment, where they learn from and work alongside experts across disciplines. That exposure provides a more holistic understanding of the patient journey—from detection and diagnosis to treatment and survivorship—and how advances in research can shape care along the way.
Mentorship is an important part of that experience. By working closely with experienced physicians and researchers, Fellows gain not only clinical knowledge, but also the perspective and guidance that help shape how they approach patient care, research, collaboration, and leadership.
The result is more than an exceptional breast imager or breast surgeon. It’s a specialist who understands how their expertise fits into the broader continuum of breast cancer care, and how collaboration can lead to better outcomes for patients.
Your Investment, Multiplied
The impact of a fellowship doesn’t end when the fellowship does.
Dr. Reddy and Dr. Zhao will carry the expertise, mentorship, and multidisciplinary perspective they gain during their Fellowships into every chapter of their careers. In turn, that knowledge can reach far beyond these two physicians—to the patients they care for, the research they contribute to, the colleagues they collaborate with, and eventually, the next generation of breast cancer specialists they may help train.
That’s the multiplier effect of your investment.
By supporting the Lynn Sage Breast Fellows Program, you’re helping build a pipeline of highly trained specialists prepared to translate progress in breast cancer research into better care for patients for years to come.
Research creates new possibilities. Exceptional physicians turn those possibilities into better care. Your support helps make both possible.