NETRF Announces Leadership Changes to the Board of Scientific Advisors
It is with gratitude and profound respect that The Neuroendocrine Tumor Research Foundation (NETRF) announces Dan Chung, MD, will be stepping down from his role as the co-chair of our Board of Scientific Advisors (BOSA) and will continue as a member.
“It has been a distinct privilege and honor to serve on the BOSA,” said Chung. “It has been particularly gratifying to see the tremendous impact that NETRF-funded research has had on the field in a relatively short time period.”
The BOSA is a volunteer council of highly distinguished medical and research leaders who share NETRF’s commitment to advancing the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of neuroendocrine cancer. The BOSA is central to the rigorous scientific review that allows NETRF to quickly identify the most promising grant applications and fund projects that have the most potential to transform the NET landscape.
“Dan Chung has been Co-Chair of NETRF’s Board of Scientific Advisors for many years, providing thoughtful leadership, scientific and clinical expertise, and insight that has shaped the goals and direction of the NETRF Research Program,” explains NETRF Director of Research John Kanki, PhD. “I cannot thank Dan enough for all he has done in helping me come onboard as the Director of Research and introducing me to the NET research field and community.”
NETRF is pleased to announce that Dawn E. Quelle, PhD, from the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Iowa College of Medicine will serve as Co-Chair of the BOSA alongside George Fisher, MD, PhD. To learn more about the Quelle Lab and her work to identify biomarkers for cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and monitoring, as well as new targets for anti-cancer therapies, click here. Despite an impressive career of research and commitment to neuroendocrine cancer, Quelle humbly describes herself as a relative newcomer to NET research.
“I’m a basic scientist who has studied cancer since the 1990s, but I only began investigating NETs about eight years ago,” explains Quelle. “I’ve been impressed by the true sense of comradery and dedication in the NET community – clinicians, researchers, patients, societies like NANETs and foundations like NETRF. Serving on the NETRF BOSA is a humbling opportunity to learn from fellow members who are among the most accomplished leaders in the field.”
Quelle says she is looking forward to working with the entire committee to ensure rigorous, informed evaluations of all grant application to NETRF.
“Our goal will be to identify the most innovative, scientifically sound projects that have the greatest potential to advance our understanding of NETs and improve patient health. NETRF has been supporting such research for years – I only hope to help that tradition continue. Ultimately, it’s all about translating what we learn from the lab and clinic back to the patients, to make their lives better.”
All members of the Board of Scientific Advisors are recognized experts in medical research, published authors in the top peer-reviewed medical journals, and leaders of collaborative research projects at top-ranked universities and institutes. In the coming weeks, NETRF will introduce new members of the BOSA.