Cancer research often moves at a frustrating pace, especially for conditions that don’t grab headlines. Emily Campbell knows this reality all too well from her decade-long career across investment, technology, and nonprofit sectors. Two years ago, she took on what she calls her most urgent mission: accelerating research for borderline and low-grade ovarian cancers through her role as Executive Director of Not These Ovaries.
Storytelling Makes the Invisible Visible
Most people have never heard of borderline or low-grade ovarian cancers. And that’s exactly the problem Emily confronts every day. “These under-researched forms of cancer affect thousands of women, yet they remain largely invisible,” she says. The challenge isn’t just clinical, it’s cultural. It’s about lack of awareness, misdiagnosis, and a system that often overlooks what it doesn’t fully understand. Emily’s response is rooted in something deceptively simple: storytelling.
“At Not These Ovaries, we believe in the power of stories to drive change,” she explains. “When we make the science human, we save lives faster.” That belief shapes everything her organization does, from funding research to advocating for patients. Anyone who’s navigated ovarian cancer knows the frustration: vague symptoms that are easy to dismiss. Fatigue, bloating, pelvic pain, often chalked up to stress, diet, or aging. Emily hears it over and over again from patients who were told it was nothing, for months. “That’s why we center real stories,” she says. “When women hear someone describe symptoms that mirror their own, it creates recognition. It sparks action.” And she’s seen the ripple effect firsthand. “A woman hears another’s story, pushes her doctor for answers, and ends up getting diagnosed earlier,” Emily says. “That moment, that story, can be the difference between life and death.” Because when one woman shares her experience, it empowers the next to trust her instincts. And that’s how change begins: one story at a time.
Builds Empathy That Drives Funding
Getting research funded takes more than solid science. Emily learned that the hard way. Over the years, working across different sectors, one truth became clear: data alone doesn’t move people. “You need people to care enough to write checks,” she says. “And caring comes from connection, not statistics.” That’s where storytelling becomes a catalyst. When funders, doctors, and policymakers hear what’s really behind the clinical gaps, misdiagnoses, lack of trial access, delayed care, they begin to see the human cost. “We’ve seen a powerful story turn a passive listener into a committed donor, or even a clinical researcher,” Emily explains. It isn’t about persuasion. It’s about helping people truly understand what’s at stake when these diseases go underfunded and patients go unheard. Once they see it, they can’t look away.
Storytelling Creates a Movement, Not Just a Message
Individual advocacy can only go so far. Emily understands that lasting change requires something bigger, a movement that transcends any one story. “Storytelling creates a movement, not just a message. We’re not just informing, we’re mobilizing,” she says. Every time someone speaks up, they add to a collective voice that’s growing harder to ignore. Social media magnifies that voice, and Emily uses it with purpose. “Each story we share builds a louder, stronger, and more unified voice demanding change.” Her organization’s platform isn’t just a place to collect experiences. It’s a launchpad for action. “Through our platform, survivors and families become advocates. Every post, every share, has the power to inspire someone, to fund a clinical trial, push for better care, or ask the right question at the right time.”
But don’t confuse Emily’s approach with feel-good activism. With a background in investment and tech, she’s always thinking about what drives real outcomes. “Storytelling is not a soft tool. It’s a strategic force,” she says. The proof is in the progress. The urgency in her voice is unmistakable. Every day matters when lives are on the line. “If you’re a patient, share your story. If you’re a doctor, listen with intent. And if you can fund research, do it now,” she says. Her message cuts through the noise with clarity and conviction. “Visit nottheseovaries.org and let’s write the next chapter together.” Because beating cancer won’t come from one person or one organization. It will come from all of us, choosing to write a different ending.
Follow Emily Campbell on LinkedIn or check out her website to see how storytelling is transforming cancer research and advocacy.
