Biography
Margaret McCusker is a board-certified preventive medicine physician who serves as a senior medical director at Flatiron Health. Margaret leverages her training and experience to explore how real-world evidence can be used to complement traditional evidence generation strategies both within the life sciences industry and in public health. Prior to joining Flatiron Health, Margaret worked for Roche, within both the pharmaceutical and diagnostics divisions. Before Roche, she was a medical officer with the California Department of Public Health, where she focused on cancer prevention and control programs, including the California Cancer Registry. Margaret received her undergraduate degree in biology from Boston University and MD from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. She completed a preventive medicine residency at the University of Maryland, where she also earned an MS in epidemiology and preventive medicine. After residency, Margaret served as an Epidemic Intelligence Service officer with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and was stationed at the Texas Department of Health.
Precision medicine has incredible promise for patients. Enormous amounts of money and time are invested in developing technologies and targeted therapies. Genomics, proteomics, phosphorylation assays, RNA expression, organoid growth, and testing, and even delicate mass measurement of liquid cancer cells are explored. This innovation must be focused to maximize the benefit to the most important participants in our healthcare system, the patient. This track is about putting patient needs first, and understanding and accessing the latest (cancer) treatment options.