Session Chair Profile

Kathy Giusti

Biography

Kathy Giusti, a multiple myeloma patient and business leader, founded the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) in 1998. Giusti and the MMRF pioneered the establishment of innovative, collaborative research models in the areas of tissue banking, genomics, and clinical trials. Today, the MMRF is the only organization that has built an end-to-end cancer research system to facilitate and accelerate the entire process, and is the world’s top private funder of multiple myeloma research, having raised over $350 million since its inception. Guided by Giusti’s singular vision and business acumen, the MMRF created the first centralized tissue bank in multiple myeloma, which today houses 4,000 samples. In collaboration with the Broad Institute and the Translational Genomics Research Institute, the MMRF was the first to launch an initiative to map the multiple myeloma genome. Ten new drugs developed by MMRF initiatives have received FDA approval in the time it normally takes for one. Prior to founding the MMRF, Giusti was a leader in the pharmaceutical industry, holding senior positions at G.D. Searle and Merck. In recognition of her leadership in cancer research and the field of precision medicine, Giusti was named Faculty Co-Chair of the Harvard Business School (HBS) Kraft Precision Medicine Accelerator. This $20M program is endowed by Robert Kraft and the Kraft Family Foundation and its mission is to speed precision medicine across all cancers. Giusti has earned several prestigious awards and recognitions, including being named 1 of 3 Top Business Leaders Disrupting Medicine by Fortune Magazine, Time 100’s Most Influential People in the word and #19 on Fortune’s 50 World’s Greatest Leaders list. Giusti served on President Obama’s 2015 Precision Medicine Initiative Working Group and continues to act as an active advisor to the Obama PMI (“All of Us”) and Vice President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot program. Giusti received her MBA in general management from Harvard Business School. She holds an honorary Doctorate from the University of Vermont.

Speaker Profile

William (Bill) Dalton

Biography

Dr. Dalton is interested in the development of personalized cancer care and patient-centered outcomes research and developing evidence-based, personalized cancer treatments and information/decision tools for patients and clinicians. In 2014, the Moffitt Cancer Center, in partnership with the James Cancer Center at the Ohio State University, founded the cancer center alliance called ORIEN, Oncology Research Information and Exchange Network, with the goal of accelerating cancer research discovery by sharing information and delivering hope through collaborative learning and partnerships. There are now fifteen cancer centers that have joined ORIEN. He is the past CEO of Moffitt Cancer Center (2002-2012). He is the past-Chair of the Personalized Medicine Coalition and current Chair of the Institute of Human and Machine Cognition. Dr. Dalton’s research interests focus on molecular mechanisms of drug resistance and drug discovery. He has over 200 publications and has patents in the fields of drug discovery and computer/information networking.

Speaker Profile

Robert M. Califf

Biography

Dr. Califf serves as the Vice Chancellor for Clinical and Translational Research at Duke University. Previously, Dr. Califf provided executive leadership to the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research and oversaw the Office of Special Medical Programs at the FDA. He also served as director of the Duke Translational Medicine Institute and founding director of the Duke Clinical Research Institute. A nationally and internationally recognized expert in cardiovascular medicine, Dr. Califf has led many landmark clinical trials and is one of the most frequently cited authors in biomedical science. Dr. Califf has also served on the boards of several national health institutes.

Speaker Profile

Richard Klausner

Biography

Dr. Klausner is founder and Director of Juno Therapeutics, founder and Director of GRAIL and Executive Chairman of Wisdo, a third generation internet company. He is the chairman of Mindstrong and a Director of AnchorDx. He is the former Senior Vice President, Chief Medical Officer and Chief Opportunity Officer of Illumina Corporation. He is the former Executive Chairman of Audax Health. He currently Chairs the Grand Challenges in Cancer program of Cancer Research UK. Previously, he has served as managing partner of the Venture Capital firm, The Column Group, was the Executive Director for Global Health of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Dr Klausner was appointed by Presidents Clinton and Bush as the eleventh Director of the U.S. National Cancer Institute between 1995 and 2001. Dr. Klausner served as chief of the Cell Biology and Metabolism Branch of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development as well as a past president of the American Society of Clinical Investigation. He has served in senior advisory roles to the US, Norwegian, Qatari and Indian governments. He previously chaired the International Advisory Board for Samsung and chaired the Strategic Oversight Council of Sanofi. He currently serves on numerous advisory boards. Dr. Klausner is well known for his work in cell and molecular biology, immunology and human genetics, and has been the author of more than 300 scientific articles and several books, in addition to receiving numerous awards, honorary degrees and other honors. He has served as an Advisor to the Presidents of the Academies for counter-terrorism, and Liaison to the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy. He oversaw the writing of The National Science Education Standards, the first such standards for US Science Education. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Medicine and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.