Get to Know SGO’s Incoming President
Karen Lu, MD, brings a strong background and passion for building the gynecologic oncology community.
Society of Gynecologic Oncology president-elect Karen Lu, MD, assumed her official duties earlier today. Dr. Lu, who is also executive vice president and physician-in-chief at Moffit Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida, brings nearly 30 years of experience and active SGO membership to the role.
After her fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Dr. Lu started her academic career at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. She spent the last 12 of her 25 years there as chair of the Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine before moving to Moffit Cancer Center in 2024.
Dr. Lu said she believes the gynecologic oncology specialty is one of the best fields in medicine.
“We develop a very close relationship with patients since we care for them from diagnosis through treatment and follow-up, sometimes for many years,” she said. “As a physician scientist, understanding the biology of gynecologic cancers and contributing to the progress in prevention and treatment has been incredibly rewarding.”
Since joining SGO as a fellow nearly 30 years ago, Dr. Lu has served many roles within the organization, including being part of committees and initiatives focused on genetics, endometrial cancer, and ovarian cancer, and participating in the last SGO Pathways to Progress meeting. She has also served on the SGO Board of Directors and the Foundation for Women’s Cancer Development Committee.
Dr. Lu said she believes every fellow should consider joining SGO.
“Every fellow benefits from the SGO and our loyalty starts early,” she said. “I presented my first poster at SGO as a fellow, and I have never missed an SGO meeting.”
She also served as the SGO liaison to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Gyn Clinical Practice Bulletins — routine clinical guidance documents published regularly by the ACOG.
“That was important in building bridges between general oncology and gynecologic oncology,” she said.
Even with all that experience, Dr. Lu said there is still more she hopes to accomplish in her time as SGO president. 
Kim Hoarle, MBA, CAE
“We have a new CEO and a new strategic plan, and my goal is that we execute our ambitious strategy,” she said. “We are here to teach, to support, to advocate, and to build community. This year, I will be focusing on how we can collaboratively leverage new science and technology to shape the future of gynecologic cancer prevention and treatment. It’s an exciting time, and SGO is leading the way.”
Part of that excitement, Dr. Lu explained, comes in the new and innovative ways in which gynecologic oncologists can impact the lives of their patients.
“We have new strategies to meaningfully improve the survival of women with gynecologic cancers, and we have strategies to prevent these cancers as well,” she said. “With all of this information it is important for SGO to deliver it in a timely and clinically relevant way to our members. SGO is about building a community of passionate clinicians, all focused on our patients with gynecologic cancers.”
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