Carolyn Ricci
Executive Director
Carolyn Ricci joined the Global Cancer Institute in 2022. As Executive Director, Ms. Ricci will oversee all GCI operations, including strategy, program, impact, growth, and fundraising.
Ms. Ricci has more than 23 years of experience focused on shaping innovative and high-impact responses to significant societal issues, including cancer. Ms. Ricci comes to GCI after serving as the director of development for the Melanoma Research Alliance. Past work has included founding and serving as president of the Uplift Institute, where she advised executive leadership teams on strategy, partnerships, development, and implementation of programs. Prior to Uplift, Ms. Ricci was the director of programs of the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade, leading strategy, grantmaking, and programmatic operations. In this role, she oversaw up to $40 million in annual giving aimed at improving breast cancer outcomes and reducing disparities in survival rates. She developed and implemented a communication strategy for Crusade activities, informational and educational tools for donors, sponsors, applicants, and beneficiaries, and impact documents for media outreach and communication.
Ms. Ricci earned her Bachelor of Arts in political science from Drew University in Madison, NJ.
Don S. Dizon MD FACP FASCO
Chief Medical Officer – Gynecologic Program
Don S. Dizon is a Professor of Medicine at Brown University | Director of Breast and Pelvic Malignancies Program. He is a medical oncologist specializing in the care of women with breast or gynecologic cancers, survivorship particularly as it pertains to sexual health for men and women with cancer, patient engagement, and social media. He grew up on the Pacific Island of Guam and completed undergraduate and medical school at the University of Rochester in New York. He trained in Internal Medicine at Yale New-Haven Hospital and completed a fellowship in Medical Oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in NYC. He serves as the Director of Women’s Cancers and Director of Hematology-Oncology clinics at Lifespan Cancer Institute and Director of Medical Oncology at Rhode Island Hospital. Additionally, he is the Chair of Digital Engagement for SWOG Oncology Research Network and previously served as the Chair of the Cancer Communications Committee and Social Media Working Group of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). He writes an online column for the journal, The Oncologist, and for ASCO Connection, and his writings have been honored with American Publishing Excellence (APEX) awards. He also was featured in an article on The ASCO Post by Jo Cavallo titled “Predicting Global Cancer Trends in 2021”. Dr. Dizon is on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok @drdonsdizon.
Ben Ho Park MD PhD
Chief Medical Officer – Breast Program
Dr. Park attended The University of Chicago for his A.B. degree, followed by dual training at The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine where he received both his M.D. and Ph.D. degrees. Dr. Park then trained in Internal Medicine and Hematology/Oncology at The University of Pennsylvania prior to completing a post-doctoral fellowship in the laboratory of Dr. Bert Vogelstein at Johns Hopkins. Dr. Park then joined the faculty in the Breast Cancer Program at The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins and was Professor of Oncology, Associate Director of Education and Research Training and Associate Dean of Postdoctoral Affairs for the School of Medicine prior to joining Vanderbilt University Medical Center in 2018. He is currently the Donna S. Hall Chair in Breast Cancer, Professor of Medicine and Associate Director for Basic and Translational Research in the Division of Heme/Onc, Co-Leader of the Breast Cancer Research Program, Associate Director for Translational Research and Director of Precision Oncology at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center. His research program involves identifying and validating genetic targets for breast cancer therapy and diagnostics. In particular, Dr. Park has pioneered the use of “liquid biopsies” to help guide future management of breast cancer therapies. He has also led the formation and implementation of molecular tumor boards at Hopkins and other institutions, and more recently at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center.