Michael J. Birrer

Michael Birrer is Director of the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute and Professor of Medicine at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). Prior to this role, he led gynecologic cancer research programs at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School and the National Cancer Institute. Birrer is a dual physician-scientist whose research has examined the molecular biology of ovarian cancer with an emphasis on transcription factor signaling — particularly the AP-1 family — and on genomic characterization of ovarian tumors for biomarker and therapeutic target discovery. Birrer contributed to the ARIEL2 trial as an investigator and translational team member, helping analyze genomic predictors of rucaparib response in high-grade serous ovarian cancer. His laboratory discovered that AP-1 transcription factors play critical roles in regulating ovarian cancer cell survival, invasion, and resistance to therapy, providing a mechanistic framework for novel therapeutic targeting approaches. He was also a key participant in landmark TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas) analyses of high-grade serous ovarian cancer, contributing to the comprehensive molecular characterization of this disease. Birrer has made substantial contributions to clinical trial design and biomarker science for gynecologic oncology, integrating deep molecular profiling with clinical outcomes across multiple cooperative group and industry trials. He has trained numerous physician-scientists and holds leadership positions in GOG, SGO, and NCI-sponsored research consortia focused on gynecologic malignancies.