Give to the Next Generation of Scientists

This is the time of year when many people sit down and think about the causes they want to support.

I’m asking you to consider donating today to young scientists through the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation.

Why Young Scientists?

Our system for funding science doesn’t do enough to support young people. The average age of a first-time NIH grant recipient was 32 in 1970. That number has now crept up to about 42.

This means too many brilliant scientists in this new generation are being forced to toil on insufficient wages, and without the independence they need to break new ground. People need a chance to get on a sustainable career path in their 30s. 

By supporting outstanding young scientists, we in the biotech community can make a difference. We can breathe oxygen into creative new ideas that otherwise would be cast aside by cautious, incremental funding agencies.

If we don’t do more to support young scientists, many will continue to leave their scientific dreams behind, opting for more lucrative careers so they can get married, have kids, and afford a home.

When this happens, science misses out.

Why Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation?

It supports bold and brave young scientists across the US.

Damon Runyon has a keen eye for talent and a terrific track record. In its more than 75-year history, its grant recipients have gone on to win many accolades, including:

• 13 Nobel Prizes
• 15 Lasker Awards
• 7 National Medals of Science
• 100 elected memberships in the National Academy of Sciences

By betting on promising early-career scientists and giving them the freedom to pursue their own ideas, Damon Runyon is a force multiplier for cancer research and biology.

Decades ago, its scientists were the first to cure a solid tumor with chemotherapy. More recently, its discoveries include the first targeted ALK inhibitor for lung cancer and the first demonstration that CRISPR could edit genes in mammalian cells.

In the mid-2000s, before it was cool, Damon Runyon invested in scientists who were exploring cancer immunotherapy with checkpoint inhibitors and CAR-T cell therapy.

I’m committed. I’m personally leading a team of biotech executives and investors who are raising $1 million for Damon Runyon. At the end of the campaign, we’ll gather together to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa.

Cancer affects almost everyone at some point in life, either personally or through members of our families.

We are living in a moment of tremendous possibility for cancer research and development.

Our support today will pay dividends for generations. This is our chance.

Please go directly to the Timmerman Traverse for Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation’s website to see who’s on the team and how you can make a donation today. 

DONATE HERE

 

Thank you