image: Stand Up To Cancer
Credit: Stand Up To Cancer
LOS ANGELES – December 8, 2023 – Stand Up To Cancer® (SU2C) today announced the appointment of Julian Adams, Ph.D., as president and chief executive officer, which will be effective on January 1, 2024. Adams had previously served on SU2C’s Scientific Advisory Committee since 2008, and officially joined SU2C in July 2023 in the newly created position of chief science officer. He succeeds Russell Chew, who joins SU2C’s Board of Directors.
Adams is a longtime oncology researcher and pharmaceutical industry senior executive specializing in drug discovery and development in cancer. With this appointment, Adams assumes management responsibility for SU2C’s overall strategic direction, day-to-day operations, research investments, and strengthening the organization’s relationships with its scientific partner, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), and leading researchers and institutions across the oncology space.
“This transition marks an inflection point for SU2C as we intensify our focus on cutting-edge cancer research and expand our fundraising portfolio,” said Sherry Lansing, a co-founder of Stand Up To Cancer and Entertainment Industry Foundation board member. “Elevating a deeply experienced oncology researcher and industry leader to the chief executive role reflects SU2C’s commitment to advancing new cancer treatments that can save lives now.” Added Lansing, “We are grateful to Russell Chew for his leadership these past three years and are delighted that he will continue to serve our organization from his seat on the Board of Directors.”
“I am both honored and humbled by this opportunity to lead an extraordinary organization into its next phase of growth and progress," said Adams. "SU2C's commitment to collaboration and relentless drive to innovate are the core values that fuel our dedication to funding cutting-edge research. I have devoted my career to investigating how to defeat this insidious disease, and this role further amplifies that work. I am looking forward to helping SU2C build upon its bold legacy of funding new, high-risk, high-reward cancer research that leads to more life-saving treatments.”
Since launching in 2008, SU2C has raised nearly $800 million to fund critically needed cancer research.
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Media Contact:
Fiona McRobert
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.
As SU2C’s scientific partner, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) and a Scientific Advisory Committee, led by Nobel laureate Phillip A. Sharp, Ph.D., conduct rigorous competitive review processes to identify the best research proposals to recommend for funding, oversee grants administration, and provide expert review of research progress.
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.