A Return to Kilimanjaro: Timmerman Traverse for Damon Runyon Cancer Research

Welcome to the next big biotech expedition — Timmerman Traverse for Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation.

A team of executives, investors, and scientists are coming together on Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa, in February 2024.

We’re on a mission to raise $1 million for young scientists across the US.

Damon Runyon gives promising young researchers the freedom to pursue brave and bold ideas. Its grant recipients have opened up entire new fields with targeted therapies, CRISPR gene editing, and cancer immunotherapy.

The biotech community knows the value of this work and is stepping up to support it.

Who’s on the Team?

• Luke Timmerman, founder & editor, Timmerman Report
• Joanne Smith-Farrell, CEO, Be Biopharma
• Nagesh Mahanthappa, executive chair, Exo Therapeutics
• Erika Smith, CEO, ReNetX Bio; BIO board member
• Kim Kamdar, managing partner, Medical Excellence Capital
• Abbas Kazimi, chief business officer, Nimbus Therapeutics
• Soufiane Aboulhouda, co-founder and chairman, Nucleate; PhD candidate, George Church Lab, Harvard University, Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering
• Martin Strebl-Bantillo, principal, Clarion, a Lumanity Business
• Stella Paffenholz, venture capital fellow, Nextech Invest
• Mike Huckman, global practice leader, executive communications, Real Chemistry; BIO board member
• Henry Kilgore, postdoctoral researcher, Whitehead Institute, Richard Young Laboratory; Damon Runyon Fellow
• Wei (Will) Chen, postdoctoral researcher, University of Washington, David Baker Laboratory; Damon Runyon Fellow
• Katherine Andersen, head of life sciences and healthcare, HSBC USA commercial banking
• Mairin Rooney, senior managing director, investment banking, Leerink Partners
• Dave Frakes, vice president, regional medical officer, PPD, part of Thermo Fisher Scientific
• Jason Steiner, biotech<>techbio architect
• Hari Pujar, operating partner, Flagship Pioneering
• Teri Loxam, chief financial officer, Gameto
• Pablo Lubroth, investor, Hummingbird Ventures
• Yaron Werber, senior biotechnology analyst, TD Cowen
• Guang Yang, partner, McKinsey
• Jaime Smith, entrepreneur, Lodestar Energy

I’m happy to announce that PPD Biotech Solutions, part of Thermo Fisher Scientific, is our lead sponsor.

Corporate sponsorship opportunities are available for this special expedition for cancer research. See Elyse Hoffmann, senior director of partnership strategy at Damon Runyon, to brainstorm ideas. elyse.hoffmann@damonrunyon.org.

Please see our team fundraising page to learn more and donate.

We’re pushing ourselves to do something difficult. We’ll enjoy Mother Nature. We’ll form meaningful relationships on the trails.

We’re going to make a positive impact for young scientists.

Thank you for your support!

Timmerman Traverse