Veteran Oncology Researcher to Guide
Investment in Breakthrough Cancer Treatments
LOS
ANGELES, July 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Stand Up To
Cancer® (SU2C) today announced that Julian Adams,
Ph.D., a longtime oncology researcher and retired pharmaceutical
industry chief executive, was named the organization's first Chief
Science Officer.
In this newly created position, Dr. Adams will lead the
development of strategic research priorities to enhance SU2C's
research portfolio and will work closely with the SU2C Scientific
Advisory Committee to steer funding to the most promising
translational research opportunities. Dr. Adams will also support
the securing of gifts, grants and sponsorships that advance SU2C's
distinctive brand of cutting-edge and disruptive research.
"Since SU2C's launch in 2008, we have funded 142 team science
grants and awards across a wide range of cancer types and the time
is right to add a deeply knowledgeable and experienced leader to
guide our research priorities and investment decisions," said
Russell Chew, president and CEO of
Stand Up To Cancer. "Dr. Adams has been an integral member of
SU2C's Scientific Advisory Committee since the beginning and his
commitment to our organization, along with his unrivaled
combination of research and business acumen, makes him precisely
the expert we need to guide and grow our research portfolio."
In addition to leading the strategy and operational
effectiveness of SU2C's grants program, Dr. Adams will work to
build and strengthen SU2C's external relationships across the
cancer research community, including with the American Association
for Cancer Research (AACR), the Scientific Partner of SU2C, as well
as with funding partners, research institutions, government
entities, and other key stakeholders. As Chief Science Officer, Dr.
Adams joins Stand Up To Cancer's senior leadership team, reporting
to the CEO, and will oversee SU2C's prestigious Scientific Advisory
Committee and SU2C's scientific staff.
"During my long affiliation with Stand Up To Cancer, I've seen
firsthand the tremendous impact of its collaborative approach to
high-risk, high-reward research," said Dr. Adams. "The opportunity
to lead SU2C's science organization and advance new, life-saving
cancer treatments is the culmination of a career devoted to
investigating how to defeat this insidious disease."
Until his retirement in October
2022, Dr. Adams served as Chief Executive Officer of Gamida
Cell (NASDAQ:GMDA), a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company
working to develop cell therapies for blood cancers and rare,
serious blood diseases. Prior to joining Gamida Cell, Dr. Adams was
President of R&D at Infinity Pharmaceuticals, Inc., where he
oversaw development of small molecule drugs to treat cancer. He
earlier served in senior research leadership roles at Millennium
Pharmaceuticals, Boehringer Ingelheim, LeukoSite, Inc., and
ProScript. He holds more than 40 patents and has authored more than
130 papers and book chapters in peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Adams
received his B.S. from McGill
University and his Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the field
of synthetic organic chemistry. He also received the degree of
Doctor of Science, honoris causa, from McGill
University in 2012.
ABOUT STAND UP TO CANCER
Stand Up To
Cancer® (SU2C) raises funds to accelerate the pace of
research to get new therapies to patients quickly and save lives
now. SU2C is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization and was initially
launched as a division of the Entertainment Industry
Foundation. Established in 2008 by media and entertainment
leaders, SU2C utilizes these communities' resources to engage the
public in supporting a new, collaborative model of cancer research,
to increase awareness about cancer prevention, and to highlight
progress being made in the fight against the disease. As of April
2023, more than 3,000 scientists representing more than 210
institutions are involved in SU2C-funded research projects.
Under the direction of our Scientific Advisory Committee, led by
Nobel laureate Phillip A. Sharp,
Ph.D., SU2C conducts rigorous competitive review processes to
identify the best research proposals to recommend for funding,
oversee grants administration, and ensure collaboration across
research programs.
Current members of the SU2C Founders and Advisors Committee
(FAC) include Katie Couric,
Sherry Lansing, Kathleen Lobb, Lisa
Paulsen, Rusty Robertson,
Sue Schwartz, Pamela Oas Williams, and Ellen Ziffren. The late Laura Ziskin and the late Noreen Fraser are also co-founders. Russell Chew serves as SU2C's president and
CEO.
For more information,
visit StandUpToCancer.org, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Facebook,
and YouTube.
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SOURCE Stand Up To Cancer
