Dr. Elizabeth McDonald is an Associate Professor in the Department of Radiology. She specializes in breast imaging and intervention. Dr. McDonald co-leads a translational research program (Penn Breast Cancer Translational Research Group), aimed at understanding why some breast cancers are resistant to current therapies, focusing on improving cancer outcomes and reducing care disparities in our local community, especially for young women with aggressive disease.  The BCTRG has several resources available to researchers, including PDX models and banked tissue.  In addition to her research efforts, Dr. McDonald is involved in breast cancer screening education through the Komen Foundation and with local organizations engaging and empowering youth in Philadelphia.

Dr. McDonald has received research funding from the Department of Defense, Metavivor, and Komen Foundation.  She also serves as the Director of Breast MRI for the University of Pennsylvania and is a member of the Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine Breast Steering Committee, I-SPY 2 (Investigation of Serial studies to Predict Your Therapeutic Response with Imaging and Molecular Analysis) Imaging Working Group, Translational Breast Cancer Research Consortium, and the Society for Nuclear Medicine Breast Cancer Imaging Working Group.  Dr. McDonald has served as local PI for multiple ECOG/ACRIN multi-center trials and is UPenn site PI for Radiology/I-SPY 2. She did her undergraduate work at Harvard University in biochemistry, medical school and residency at the Mayo Clinic.  She most recently received a Certificate in Translational Research from the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics.