Drs. Lauren Averett Byers and Patrick Forde Join LUNGevity's Scientific Advisory Board

WASHINGTON, June 14, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- LUNGevity Foundation, the nation's premier lung cancer-focused nonprofit organization, announced today that Dr. Lauren Averett Byers, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, and Dr. Patrick Forde, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, have joined the LUNGevity Foundation Scientific Advisory Board.

Lauren Averett Byers, MD, is Associate Professor, Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Dr. Byers joined MD Anderson Cancer Center in 2006 as a Clinical Fellow in Medical Oncology and later became an Advanced Scholar Fellow. During her fellowship, Dr. Byers focused on studying gene and protein profiles of tumor samples obtained from lung cancer patients. Her work revealed major differences in the cellular pathways in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) as compared to non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), leading to the identification of the protein PARP1 as a novel therapeutic target for small cell lung cancer.

Patrick Forde, MD (MB, BCh) is Associate Professor of Oncology and Director of the Thoracic Cancer Clinical Research Program at Johns Hopkins University Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Forde has led the development of a clinical-translational research program focused on the immuno-oncology of upper aerodigestive malignancies. Dr. Forde's research examines the role of immunotherapy for earlier-stage lung cancer, and his work has led to the development of several ongoing phase III trials.

"We are thrilled to have Drs. Byers and Forde join LUNGevity's Scientific Advisory Board and we look forward to their contributions," said Andrea Ferris, president and CEO of LUNGevity Foundation. "Both Drs. Byers and Forde were recipients of LUNGevity's Career Development Award. We are proud that the support LUNGevity provided enabled them to further their research and develop their expertise in lung cancer. We are pleased they can join their mentors on our esteemed Scientific Advisory Board as colleagues."

LUNGevity's Scientific Advisory Board, a group of 24 world-renowned scientists and researchers that guides LUNGevity's research program, oversees the Foundation's translational research strategy and ensures that grants are awarded to researchers whose proposals demonstrate the greatest potential for finding lung cancer at its earliest, most treatable phase as well as extend and improve the lives of lung cancer survivors.

In addition to guiding the research program, members of the Board assist the Foundation in numerous ways, including speaking at events and conferences; acting as key opinion leaders and experts on lung cancer at meetings; reviewing LUNGevity's education materials to ensure accuracy; providing insights and observations of barriers and issues within lung cancer care; and more. The members of the Scientific Advisory Board represent the level of integrity and scientific standards that LUNGevity is striving for in all aspects of the Foundation.

"We are pleased to have the support of such accomplished and world-renowned lung cancer experts on our Scientific Advisory Board," Dr. Upal Basu Roy, Vice President of Research at LUNGevity, said. "We strategically select members based on the expertise, new perspective, and geographical diversity they bring to the table. They are the fabric of our organization and help ensure LUNGevity is tackling the most important issues that those affected by lung cancer face, from clinical trial access to ensuring patients receive optimal care."

Both Dr. Byers and Dr. Forde were recipients of LUNGevity's Career Development award (2012 and 2014, respectively) and Dr. Byers also received LUNGevity's 2015 Targeted Therapeutics Award.

LUNGevity is proud to welcome these exceptional scientists to its Scientific Advisory Board.

About LUNGevity Foundation

LUNGevity is the nation's leading lung cancer organization investing in lifesaving, translational research and providing support services and education for patients and caregivers. LUNGevity's goals are three-fold: (1) accelerate research to patients, (2) empower patients to be active participants in their treatment decisions, and (3) remove barriers that patients face in accessing the right treatments.

LUNGevity Foundation is firmly committed to making an immediate impact on increasing quality of life and survivorship of people with lung cancer by accelerating research into early detection and more effective treatments, as well as by providing community, support, and education for all those affected by the disease. LUNGevity's comprehensive resources include a medically vetted website, a toll-free HELPLine in partnership with CancerCare®, a unique Lung Cancer Navigator app, peer-to-peer mentoring for patients and caregivers (LUNGevity LifeLine), and survivorship conferences. LUNGevity also helps patients find and navigate clinical trials through our Clinical Trial Finder tool, a Clinical Trial Ambassador program, and participation with EmergingMed.

Our vision is a world where no one dies of lung cancer. For more information about LUNGevity Foundation, a four-star Charity Navigator organization, please visit www.LUNGevity.org.

About Lung Cancer in the U.S.

• About 1 in 16 Americans will be diagnosed with lung cancer in their lifetime
• More than 228,000 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with lung cancer this year
• About 60%-65% of all new lung cancer diagnoses are among people who have never smoked or are former smokers
• Lung cancer takes more lives than the next three leading cancers (colorectal, breast, and prostate) combined
• Only 19% of all people diagnosed with lung cancer will survive 5 years or more, BUT if it's caught before it spreads, the chance of 5-year survival improves dramatically

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SOURCE LUNGevity Foundation