Steering Committee Member

breast cancer survivor and advocate
USC Norris Cancer Survivorship Advisory Council CHAIR

Mary Aalto is a breast cancer survivor, advocate, and Patient Adviser at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. She collaborates with USC researchers to provide the patient perspective during the development and implementation of breast cancer research projects and has served as a Consumer Reviewer for the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) and the California Breast Cancer Research Program (CBCRP). Mary chairs the USC Norris Cancer Survivorship Advisory Council (CSAC), a volunteer organization comprising cancer survivors committed to improving the quality of patient care through advocacy, education, and support for the advancement of cancer research. She managed the Jennifer Diamond Cancer Resource Library (the patient education center at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center) for over a decade as the Volunteer Library Coordinator and is the creator/organizer of the Patient Perspective Series program for USC Norris and Keck Medicine of USC, an ongoing series of community-facing events showcasing healthcare topics from the vantage point of the patient.