Lung Cancer Research Foundation Regional Events Manager Annie Truax-Dunn and lung cancer survivor Stefanie O’Polka recently appeared on WBFF’s “Hometown Hotspot” to talk about the upcoming Baltimore Yoga Challenge.
View the segment here: lcrf.org/2tQXIrQ
Lung Cancer Research Foundation VP Community Engagement and Outreach Aubrey Rhodes and event participant Natalie Koberstein appeared on WMTV in Madison, WI on Saturday, June 16 to talk about the Madison Yoga Challenge.
View the segment here: http://www.nbc15.com/video?vid…
New studies presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) highlight the benefits newer treatments, including immunotherapy and targeted therapy, are having on patients with lung cancer. Read more here:
NY Times: lcrf.org/2HtwjVY
Initiative Raises $25,000 for Lung Cancer Research
New York, NY, April 4, 2018 – During the 2017-2018 hockey season, the Boston Bruins scored big in the fight against lung cancer. Through Takeda Oncology’s “Power Play for Patients” initiative, Takeda donated a total of $25,000 to the Lung Cancer Research Foundation (LCRF).
This season, every time the Bruins were on a power play, Takeda donated $100 to LCRF and when the Bruins scored a goal with a man advantage, the donation was doubled. The money raised will benefit LCRF’s mission to improve lung cancer outcomes by funding research for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure of lung cancer.
“We are very grateful that Takeda Oncology is supporting LCRF and its mission, and has selected our organization as the sole beneficiary of this year’s ‘Power Play for Patients’ initiative,” said Nancy M. Sanford, Executive Director, LCRF. “This is such a fantastic opportunity to raise awareness and funds for lung cancer research. We are honored to take part.”
Lung cancer is the number one cause of cancer death worldwide. In the US, the disease claims more lives each year than that of breast, colorectal and pancreatic cancer combined.
“Through our partnership with the Boston Bruins and 98.5 The Sports Hub, Takeda Oncology is thrilled to be able to support the LCRF, an organization focused on education and research around one of the most devastating types of cancer,” said Liz Lewis, Chief Counsel and Head of Patient Advocacy for Takeda Oncology. “We are proud to be strong supporters of our Boston community and are equally committed to helping patients worldwide.”
# # #
About the Lung Cancer Research Foundation
The Lung Cancer Research Foundation (LCRF) is the pre-eminent nonprofit organization focused on funding innovative, high-reward research with the potential to extend survival and improve quality of life for people with lung cancer. LCRF’s mission is to improve lung cancer outcomes by funding research for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure of lung cancer.
To date, LCRF has provided over $34 million dollars in research grants to investigators around the world. In addition to funding lung cancer research, the organization focuses on lung cancer awareness and educational programs. The Foundation also hosts community events nationwide through the Free to Breathe Event Series.
For more information, visit www.lcrf.org
Lung Cancer Research Foundation Executive Director Nancy M. Sanford and Nicole Duffy, Event Chair of the Lung Cancer Research Foundation’s Brooklyn Free to Breathe Run/Walk, appeared on a recent episode of WNYW’s Good Day Street Talk.
View the Lung Cancer Research Foundation’s video, “Together,” featuring Board Chair Brendon M. Stiles, MD
NEW YORK, November 2, 2017 – The Lung Cancer Research Foundation (LCRF) announced the recipients of its 2017 Scientific Grant Program Awards at the Twelfth Annual Lung Cancer Awareness Luncheon, held on Wednesday, November 1, at The Pierre in New York City. LCRF awarded $1.6 million in research grants to 10 investigators.
Each year LCRF funds projects across the spectrum of basic, clinical and translational research through its Scientific Grant Program. Research topics include improving our understanding of lung cancer biology, prevention and screening for early detection, identification of new biomarkers and the development of targeted therapies, development of more effective and safer therapies, and supportive care and quality of care/outcomes research.
“Lung cancer remains the number one cause of cancer death worldwide, yet it is also the most underfunded cancer,” said Nancy M. Sanford, Executive Director, LCRF. “We are proud to be the largest charity dedicated to funding lung cancer research and are confident that LCRF’s investigators are moving the needle in the fight against this deadly disease.”
Among the 2017 Scientific Grant Program Awards are the prestigious Scientific Merit Award and William C. Rippe Award for Distinguished Research in Lung Cancer. The Scientific Merit Award is presented to the investigator whose proposal was selected for outstanding overall merit by LCRF’s Scientific Advisory Board. This year’s recipient is Nikhil Joshi, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Immunobiology at Yale School of Medicine. Dr. Joshi’s research project is titled, “Investigating anti-tumor T cell function in autochthonous models of lung adenocarcinoma.”
“This is the second time I’ve been fortunate enough to have support from LCRF for my research, and it’s been essential for my ability to do research in this area,” said Dr. Joshi. “I’m excited that we’re in a good position to start figuring out what immune cells [do in lung cancer] and why they don’t work without help. LCRF will be essential for that effort and I’m very grateful for the opportunity be part of this story going forward.”
LCRF’s William C. Rippe Award for Distinguished Research in Lung Cancer is presented to the investigator whose proposal not only demonstrated exceptional scientific merit but also exemplified an enduring commitment to making an impact in the field of lung cancer research. Christopher Maher, PhD, Assistant Professor within the Department of Medicine and Assistant Director of the McDonnell Genome Institute at Washington University, was named as this year’s recipient. His research project is titled “Understanding the regulatory roles of long non-coding RNAs in lung cancer.”
“I am very grateful to receive support from LCRF to accelerate our lung cancer research,” said Dr. Maher. “This funding will enable us to understand how a tumor spreads throughout the body to ultimately guide the development of better treatments.”
In 2017, LCRF received 172 applications to the Scientific Grant Program, representing 103 institutions from sixteen countries. LCRF grants provide up to $150,000 over a two-year funding period. The 2017 awardees include:
Ashley Bakhoum, PhD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Targeting metastasis-initiating cells in lung adenocarcinoma
Amy Davidoff, PhD, Yale University
Patterns of palliative care and concurrent therapy for lung cancer at end-of-life: implications for quality
Benjamin Drapkin, MD, PhD, Massachusetts General Hospital
Biomarker discovery for combination therapy with olaparib and temozolomide using patient-derived xenograft models of small cell lung cancer
Marcus Goncalves, MD, PhD, Weill Cornell Medical College
Molecular mechanisms of cachexia in non-small cell lung cancer
Haichuan Hu, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital
Targeting the tumor microenvironment to enhance non-small cell lung cancer targeted therapy
Nikhil Joshi, PhD, Yale University
Investigating anti-tumor T cell function in autochthonous models of lung adenocarcinoma
Christopher Maher, PhD, Washington University
Understanding the regulatory roles of long non-coding RNAs in lung cancer
Triparna Sen, PhD, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Investigating the role of DNA damage repair inhibition in enhancing anti-tumor immunity in small cell lung cancer
Alison Taylor, PhD, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Genome engineering to generate models of chromosome arm-level aneuploidies in lung cancer
Hua Zhang, MD, PhD, New York University School of Medicine
Enhancing anti-PD-1 immunotherapy with CDK7 inhibition in small cell lung cancer
In addition to the presentation of the 2017 Scientific Grant Program awards, LCRF’s Lung Cancer Awareness Luncheon featured two guest speakers. Heidi Greulich, PhD, Senior Group Leader at the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, gave the keynote address. Chris Draft, Founder, President and CEO of The Chris Draft Family Foundation, Co-founder of Team Draft, and former NFL linebacker and NFL Ambassador, shared his personal lung cancer experience.
During the program, LCRF Executive Director, Nancy M. Sanford, shared news about the organization’s recent merger with Free to Breathe, a lung cancer research and advocacy organization. LCRF and Free to Breathe merged on September 30, 2017 to further their impact on lung cancer research discoveries. The Lung Cancer Research Foundation name will be retained to best reflect their shared mission: to improve lung cancer outcomes by funding research for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure of lung cancer. To date, the new LCRF has funded a cumulative 342 grants, totaling nearly $34 million and representing the highest amount of funding provided by an organization dedicated to supporting lung cancer research.
For more information on LCRF and the Scientific Grant Program, visit https://www.lungcancerresearchfoundation.org/
###
About the Lung Cancer Research Foundation
The Lung Cancer Research Foundation is the pre-eminent national nonprofit focused on funding innovative, high-reward research with the potential to extend survival and improve quality of life for people with lung cancer. The organization’s mission is to improve lung cancer outcomes by funding research for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure of lung cancer.
To date, the Lung Cancer Research Foundation has provided 342 grants, totaling nearly $34 million to institutions around the world for critical lung cancer research. In addition to funding lung cancer research, the organization focuses on lung cancer awareness and education programs. The Foundation will also host over 50 public events nationwide through the Free to Breathe Event Series.
Contact:
Emily Prager, eprager@Lungfund.org, (212) 588-1580
SOURCE Lung Cancer Research Foundation
NEW YORK (October 10, 2017) – The Lung Cancer Research Foundation and Free to Breathe have announced a merger to make an even greater impact on closing the funding gap for lung cancer research. The New York State Attorney General approved the required merger documentation on September 30, 2017. The Lung Cancer Research Foundation name will be retained to best reflect the combined entity’s shared mission: to improve lung cancer outcomes by funding research for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure of lung cancer. By coming together, the organizations will combine resources, accelerate ongoing efforts already established separately and develop key synergies to further their impact on lung cancer research.
“As a lung cancer researcher, I know firsthand the significant impact both organizations have had on the lung cancer community,” said Brendon M. Stiles, MD, Chair of the Lung Cancer Research Foundation’s Board of Directors. “Over the last decade we have seen steady progress in the field of lung cancer research, which has led to improved patient outcomes.”
Both the Lung Cancer Research Foundation and Free to Breathe have a long history of funding innovative, high-reward research across the spectrum of basic, clinical, and translational research with the potential to extend survival and improve quality of life for people with lung cancer. The newly expanded organization has funded a cumulative 332 grants, totaling more than $32 million, the highest amount of funding provided by a lung cancer research organization to date.
“By coming together, we can build upon the momentum we have established separately to expand our Scientific Grant Program and increase funding for lung cancer research,” said Nancy M. Sanford, Executive Director, the Lung Cancer Research Foundation. “We are proud of the research our organizations have funded thus far and are thrilled that we are uniting to increase our grant funding moving forward.”
In addition to funding lung cancer research, the merged organization will focus on lung cancer awareness and education programs. The merged entity will also continue to host public events across the country. Free to Breathe’s nationwide series of annual run/walk and yoga events will continue as the Free to Breathe Event Series.
Founded in 2005, the Lung Cancer Research Foundation funds novel lung cancer research that might otherwise go unfunded. Through its Scientific Grant Program, the Lung Cancer Research Foundation provides critical seed funding to U.S. and international investigators with groundbreaking ideas, helping establish proof of concept evidence to pave the way for additional funding.
Free to Breathe was founded in 2001 and focuses on funding lung cancer research, providing lung cancer education, and promoting advocacy and awareness. The organization develops lung cancer educational materials and provides them free of charge to patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals. Educating patients empowers them to make the best and most informed decisions about their treatment and care.
The Lung Cancer Research Foundation’s Executive Team will continue to be led by Executive Director Nancy M. Sanford, and include Delia Naughton, LMSW, Vice President, Business Development; Zaid Mohammed, CPA, CGMA, Chief Financial and Operating Officer; Sherie Reinders, Chief Operating Officer (Madison Office); Jan Baranski, PhD, Director, Scientific Programs; Amy Hall, Vice President, Finance (Madison Office); Mary Henningfield, PhD, Director of Scientific Education and Research (Madison Office); and Aubrey Rhodes, Vice President, Community Engagement and Outreach (Madison Office).
The newly expanded Lung Cancer Research Foundation is headquartered in New York City, with a second office in Madison, WI, and additional staff throughout the country. For more information, please visit www.lungcancerresearchfoundation.org or www.freetobreathe.org.
###
About the Lung Cancer Research Foundation
The Lung Cancer Research Foundation (LCRF™) is the preeminent national nonprofit focused on funding innovative, high-reward research with the potential to extend survival and improve quality of life for people with lung cancer. The organization’s mission is to improve lung cancer outcomes by funding research for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure of lung cancer. The Lung Cancer Research Foundation also hosts more than 30 public events across the country including the Free to Breathe Event Series, which consists of run/walk and yoga events. Headquartered in New York City, the Lung Cancer Research Foundation also has a second office in Madison, WI, and additional staff throughout the country. For more information, please visit www.lungcancerresearchfoundation.org.
Click here to view the press release on PR Newswire.
Contact:
Emily Prager, Director, Marketing & Communications
212.588.1580; eprager@lungfund.org
NEW YORK, September 6, 2017 — The Lung Cancer Research Foundation (LCRF) will present the 2017 Scientific Grant Program awards at the Twelfth Annual Lung Cancer Awareness Luncheon, including the prestigious Scientific Merit Award and William C. Rippe Award for Distinguished Research in Lung Cancer. The event, to be held at The Pierre in New York City on Wednesday, November 1, educates attendees about the importance of lung cancer research, including the impact of LCRF’s Scientific Grant Program.
Each year, LCRF funds projects across the spectrum of basic, clinical and translational research through its Scientific Grant Program. Research topics include improving our understanding of lung cancer biology, prevention and screening for early detection, identification of new biomarkers and the development of targeted therapies, development of more effective and safer therapies, and supportive care and quality of care/outcomes research. To date, LCRF has awarded nearly 300 grants, totaling $23 million to 90 institutions around the world.
The 2017 Luncheon will feature two speakers. The keynote address will be given by Heidi Greulich, PhD, who is a Senior Group Leader at the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT. Chris Draft, Founder, President and CEO of The Chris Draft Family Foundation, Co-founder of Team Draft, and a former NFL linebacker and NFL Ambassador, will also be present to share his personal lung cancer experience.
“Lung cancer continues to be the number one cause of cancer death worldwide,” said Nancy M. Sanford, Executive Director, LCRF. “We’re proud of the tremendous work LCRF’s investigators have contributed to the field of lung cancer research. In recent years there have been wonderful advancements and we hope to build on this momentum.”
For more information about the event and LCRF’s Scientific Grant Program, visit www.lungfund.org
# # #
About the Lung Cancer Research Foundation
The Lung Cancer Research Foundation (LCRF) is a nonprofit organization focused on supporting lung cancer research. LCRF’s mission is to improve and save lives by funding groundbreaking research for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure of lung cancer. To date, LCRF has provided nearly 300 grants, totaling $23 million to 90 institutions around the world for critical lung cancer research.
NEW YORK, August 31, 2017— The Lung Cancer Research Foundation (LCRF) is pleased to announce the election of Brendon M. Stiles, MD as the new chair of its Board of Directors. LCRF is a nonprofit organization focused on supporting lung cancer research, the number one cause of cancer death worldwide. Its mission is to improve and save lives by funding groundbreaking research for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure of lung cancer.
“It’s truly an honor to be elected as the chair of LCRF’s Board of Directors,” said Dr. Stiles. “Each LCRF board member has been personally affected by lung cancer. It’s inspiring to be among this group of individuals who are so committed to fighting this deadly disease.”
Dr. Stiles has been involved with LCRF for several years. In July 2014, he became a member of LCRF’s Medical Advisory Board, during which time he reviewed and assessed grant applications to LCRF’s Scientific Grant Program. In September 2015, Dr. Stiles became the vice chair of LCRF’s Scientific Advisory Board and a member of LCRF’s Scientific Steering Committee. During this time, Dr. Stiles played an instrumental role in helping to not only review individual grant applications, but also to set the priorities and overall strategic direction of LCRF’s Scientific Grant Program.
“There has been tremendous progress in the field of lung cancer research. As a former LCRF grantee, I know first-hand the impact and reach of LCRF’s funding,” said Dr. Stiles. “The face of lung cancer is changing. Due to research in both early and late stage disease, we now have survivors to tell the story. I’m looking forward to continuing this momentum.”
Dr. Stiles succeeds Pippa G. Gerard, who is a founding LCRF board member and served as board chair from 2013-2017. “I’m so proud of the work that LCRF has accomplished thus far, and there is no better individual than Dr. Stiles to take on the role of board chair,” said Ms. Gerard.
In addition to his work with LCRF, Dr. Stiles is a thoracic surgeon at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, Associate Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine, and is a lung cancer researcher and advocate for lung cancer patients.
“Dr. Stiles has so much passion and enthusiasm not just for our organization, but for the lung cancer community as a whole,” said Nancy M. Sanford, Executive Director, LCRF. “This is a very exciting time for LCRF and I am confident that we will continue to make great progress under Dr. Stiles’ leadership.”
Dr. Stiles will serve a two-year term as LCRF’s board chair, effective September 1, 2017.
# # #
About the Lung Cancer Research Foundation
The Lung Cancer Research Foundation (LCRF) is a nonprofit organization focused on supporting lung cancer research. LCRF’s mission is to improve and save lives by funding groundbreaking research for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure of lung cancer. To date, LCRF has provided nearly 300 grants, totaling $23 million to 90 institutions around the world for critical lung cancer research.