Biography

Dr. Tara Castellano is a dual board-certified assistant professor of gynecologic oncology at LSU Health New Orleans. 

As junior faculty at LSU Health New Orleans, Dr. Castellano is an active member of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology, the NRG young investigator committee and the GOG investigators council as a Clinical Trial Equity/Patient Advocacy Committee member. Dr. Castellano is an active scholar and mentor in the Robert A. Winn Diversity in Clinical Trials Career Development program as well as in the NIH Early Investigator Advancement Program. Dr. Castellano's research interests include clinical trial design, quality initiative models, identification and elimination of health disparities and improvements in cancer care delivery. She has published and nationally presented dozens of scientific abstracts and articles over the past several years and is academically active in research, resident training, and community engagement.

As a gynecologic oncology fellow, Dr. Castellano focused on clinical trial design and was selected for the prestigious ASCO/AACR Junior Investigator Clinical Trial Workshop in Vale, Colorado and was awarded scholarships to attend the NRG oncology meetings. Her selected ASCO/AACR clinical trial protocol was developed and opened at the Stephenson Cancer Center as an investigator-initiated trial investigating novel treatment combinations in high-risk endometrial cancer patients. This trial has currently expanded to patients at University Medical Center in New Orleans. During fellowship, she received specialized training in complex surgery, chemotherapy, and novel therapies to treat gynecologic cancers.