Mali Barbi, MD, MSc, is a medical oncologist and physician-scientist who specializes in breast cancer and gynecologic malignancies, including endometrial, ovarian and cervical cancer. Dr. Barbi began her path in medicine with a deep interest in laboratory research and neuroscience. However, her focus shifted toward clinical care after she realized the importance of the patient-physician connection. After years in the lab, I realized that I missed caring for patients and seeing the direct outcomes of my work, she says. I enjoy bridging the gap between the lab and the clinic to bring sophisticated research tools and therapeutic strategies to my patients.Dr. Barbi received her medical degree from Tel Aviv University in Israel, followed by a residency at Montefiore Medical Center and a fellowship at Northwell Health Center for Advanced Medicine. While she initially intended to specialize in breast oncology exclusively, her focus broadened after she recognized a critical lack of treatment options for other gynecological cancers.During my first rotation in the gynecologic oncology clinic, I saw patients with aggressive diseases and felt the disparity in the tools we had to help them compared to breast cancer, she says. The challenge of tackling these difficult cancers and their aggressive subtypes is what inspires my work.During her fellowship, Dr. Barbi helped establish a biobank of over 300 endometrial tumor samples. We seek to understand why certain patient groups respond to treatment while others do not, using drug screenings to identify new markers for more targeted therapies with fewer side effects.After her fellowship at Northwell, she remained with the institution because of its culture. Northwell prioritizes kindness. You should be kind to your coworkers. You should be kind to your nurse. You should be willing to help and work with everyone. I think it's quite unique, says Dr. Barbi, who extends this kindness to patients by listening and focusing on their mental health.I come from a family of psychotherapists, and I bring this holistic sensibility to my work. A patient's mental well-being, and what they say to themselves, can be a powerful tool for coping and recovery. I also emphasize to my patients that they're never alone. We are a team that includes their family and caregivers. Cancer affects the entire family, and we work through this journey together