Maria Silvina Frech, Ph.D., M.S.

Maria Silvina Frech, Ph.D., M.S., serves as Program Officer in the Breast and Gynecologic Cancer Research Group (BGCR), Division of Cancer Prevention (DCP), National Cancer Institute (NCI).

In this role, she oversees a portfolio of cooperative agreements that support two international clinical research networks with the goal of improving cervical cancer screening, management, and precancer treatment for women with HIV: The US-Latin American-Caribbean HIV/HPV-Cancer Prevention Clinical Trials Network (ULACNet) and the HIV/Cervical Cancer Prevention ‘CASCADE’ Clinical Trials Network. She collaborates with colleagues from other NCI Divisions and Centers focused on advancing implementation research initiatives.  

Dr. Frech received a B.S. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Argentina; a M.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; and a Ph.D. in Tumor Biology, from Georgetown University, studying the role of Estrogen Receptor and Cyclin D1 in mammary gland development and carcinogenesis. Dr. Frech’s work has focused on advancing global cancer research and control in Latin America. More recently, she held strategic leadership roles in a non-profit organization that developed an implementation framework for health systems strengthening and cancer care improvement. Dr. Frech received an NCI Director Award for supporting the Cancer Control Leadership Forum program in 2016 and has authored publications in high-impact journals such as The Lancet, the Journal of Global Oncology, Cancer Research, and Science Translational Medicine.