David Bowtell is an internationally recognised expert in ovarian cancer research and a pioneer in genomics and personalised medicine. He has made seminal discoveries relating to ovarian cancer classification, primary and acquired chemotherapy resistance, and factors influencing patient survival. His research has identified molecular subtypes of high-grade serous ovarian cancer, enabling subtype-specific clinical trials, and highlighted novel mechanisms of acquired resistance. His work on BRCA1/2 germline mutation-prevalence resulted in the comprehensive revision of genetic testing guidelines for ovarian cancer in Australia and internationally. In his early career, he also made major contributions to characterisation of RAS signal transduction.