USU M.D.-Ph.D. Student 2nd Lt. Megan Doherty Advances New Research on Aggressive Uterine Cancer

Novel tumor models may help scientists better understand and treat one of the most challenging gynecologic cancers.

Diseases like endometriosis and uterine fibroids impact a huge number of women. For many service members, those symptoms lead to life-altering decisions. Doherty noted that for uterine fibroids, treatment often requires a hysterectomy. (Photo credit: U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Jessica H. Smith-McMahan 2.jpg)

March 13, 2026 by Hadiyah Brendel

2nd Lt. Megan Doherty, an M.D./Ph.D. candidate at the Uniformed Services University (USU), is working to address a critical challenge in cancer research: improving outcomes for uterine leiomyosarcoma (uLMS), a rare and aggressive cancer with a five-year survival rate of just 30%-50%. Through her research, Doherty is developing advanced tumor models aimed at improving understanding of the disease and helping pave the way for more effective treatments.

During her preclinical education, Doherty confronted a significant lack of data in women's health, a void she describes as a "black box" that leaves patients and providers in the dark. Conditions like uterine fibroids often force service members into life-altering treatments, such as hysterectomies, effectively ending their hopes of carrying a child.

"It is incredibly unfortunate, and it stems from a desperate need for more translational research so we can understand the underlying causes of these diseases, rather than just managing the aftermath," Doherty noted.

From the Laboratory to the Warfighter

Doherty was motivated by this clinical reality and sought out the laboratory of Dr. William Catherino, vice chair of Research in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. The lab has earned international recognition for decades of work on uterine fibroids. Building on that established research, Doherty focused on a rarely-charted cancer: uterine leiomyosarcoma (uLMS).

She developed a novel orthotopic tumor model to study the highly metastatic uLMS by surgically implanting tumor xenografts directly into the murine uterus. This method lets the cancer interact with its natural environment, providing a more accurate picture of metastatic patterns than traditional models, where researchers grow tumors in non-native locations, like under the skin.

Doherty is testing the efficacy of DNA Damage Response (DDR) inhibitors with this high-fidelity model. Standard chemotherapy aims to damage rapidly dividing cancer cells, but uLMS cells often survive by repairing themselves through complex DDR pathways.

"My work focuses on DDR inhibitors designed to sabotage this repair process, preventing the cells from bouncing back," Doherty explained.

A Shared Commitment to Readiness

Like her peers in the M.D./Ph.D. program, Doherty balances the rigors of doctoral research with the responsibilities of a commissioned officer. She credits the collaborative atmosphere at USU-where faculty and students share a singular focus on the warfighter-as a primary driver of her success.

"In the Catherino lab, the research goes above and beyond because we aren't just looking for a publication; we're looking for a way to change the standard of care," she said.

As she prepares to return to the clinical side of her training, Doherty remains committed to ensuring that the "black box" of women's medicine continues to shrink. By refining these high-fidelity models, she works to ensure when a female service member enters a military treatment facility, her providers could provide more than just symptom management.

Her mentors at USU emphasize Doherty's impact on USU's mission, describing her as a trailblazer for the future of the Military Health System.

"2nd Lt. Doherty's future is very bright as a clinician, scientist, educator, and pioneer," Catherino said. "When she joined our laboratory, the question wasn't whether Megan would complete her studies successfully. The question was what impact her excellence would have on our current understanding of a poorly understood and highly malignant disease."

A Blueprint for Future Clinicians

Doherty's vision extends far beyond her own graduation. While her time in the doctoral phase is finite, she views her research as a foundational platform for the next generation of military scientists. By perfecting the novel orthotopic model, she is handing her successors a high-fidelity tool to identify the "hidden pockets" of sarcoma that often lurk within benign fibroids.

"Ideally, we can use this model to identify new biomarkers for uLMS," Doherty explained. "The hope is that more labs will utilize this model to identify those biomarkers and treatments, improving the overall prognosis for these patients."

For Doherty, the clock is the only true constraint. "If I had all the time in the world, I would test every novel combination treatment in this model to increase treatment efficacy," she said. Although she will soon transition back to clinical rotations, she ensures the work continues. By establishing this model at USU, she provides the blueprint for future researchers to pick up the mantle.

Behind the data and the models lies a sobering reality for the patients Doherty will eventually treat as a physician. The current five-year survival rate for uLMS remains alarmingly low - a statistic she finds unacceptable.

"The overall goal is simply to improve the prognosis for this cancer," Doherty said. "Any more effective treatments we can find, especially by testing them with this more accurate model system, will improve the outlook for these women.