Joanne McIntyre

Biography
Joanne McIntyre is a patient advocate focused on preventing severe fluoropyrimidine toxicity through broader awareness and testing for dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase, or DPD, deficiency. She entered this field after her husband died in 2018 from capecitabine toxicity associated with previously unrecognized DPD deficiency. Since then, she has worked to educate patients, clinicians, researchers, and policy stakeholders about the relationship between DPYD variants, DPD activity, and the safety of fluoropyrimidine chemotherapy. She helped establish AUDIT, Advocates for Universal DPD/DPYD Testing, and has participated in patient-centered initiatives addressing pharmacogenomics, treatment safety, and informed decision-making. Her advocacy also includes work with the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation, the STRIPE Initiative, and other efforts that bring patient perspectives into research and implementation. Earlier in her career, Ms. McIntyre worked in nonprofit and university settings, including Stanford Medicine. She brings a practical patient-safety perspective to discussions about pharmacogenomic testing and precision oncology.