CancerIQ, the platform powering early cancer detection and prevention across broad patient populations, announced today that Jeffrey Weitzel, MD, cofounder of the City of Hope Clinical Cancer Genomics Community of Practice, was named an official strategic advisor to the company.
CHICAGO, Dec. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- CancerIQ, the platform powering early cancer detection and prevention across broad patient populations, announced today that Jeffrey Weitzel, MD, cofounder of the City of Hope Clinical Cancer Genomics Community of Practice, was named an official strategic advisor to the company. In this role, Dr. Weitzel's deep, cross-sector expertise will help inform research and product development and enrich CancerIQ's longstanding commitment to mainstreaming cancer genetics as part of routine care.
Dr. Weitzel served as a professor of oncology and population sciences at the City of Hope for 24 years, where he established the clinical cancer genomics division and co-developed award winning educational programs that have helped more than 1,500 clinicians acquire the skills and knowledge to apply cancer genetics in community-based settings. He went on to direct precision prevention strategy at Natera, a leading clinical genetic testing company, as Vice President of Medical Affairs for Hereditary Cancer. Recently, Dr. Weitzel has returned to his clinical roots in his current role as Director of the Division of Precision Prevention at The University of Kansas Cancer Center.
"Dr. Weitzel has developed a valuable, multidimensional perspective working across education, industry and clinical sectors, all of which are integral to our business model," said Feyi Ayodele, CEO and co-founder of CancerIQ. "We are excited to tap this unparalleled expertise and officially bring Dr. Weitzel on board to help take CancerIQ to the next level."
Dr. Weitzel has collaborated with CancerIQ since the platform's early product development stages. CancerIQ first partnered with Dr. Weitzel to conduct a rigorous analysis of the barriers clinicians face when putting cancer genetics training into practice. This research paved the way for CancerIQ's purpose-built precision prevention platform, which is now empowering genetics-trained professionals to apply their knowledge in over 225 diverse clinical locations across the country.
"Dr. Weitzel and I have worked together for over 30 years in cancer genomics," said Olufunmilayo Olopade, MD, FACP, Chief Scientific Officer and Co-founder, CancerIQ. "I am excited to have an esteemed peer on board to help continue to improve our platform and service offerings."
As a strategic advisor, Dr. Weitzel will work with CancerIQ to advance translational research in the delivery of cancer genetics and genomics. Today most patients with elevated cancer risk only learn of this risk after diagnosis, according to the President's Cancer Panel 2022 Report. In alignment with the Panel's recommendations to expand access to genetics to support cancer prevention and early detection, CancerIQ remains focused on identifying barriers to access and accelerating digital solutions that make these life-saving tools accessible to all patients. CancerIQ also joined the national Cancer Moonshot CancerX coalition, a public-private partnership for digital innovation in oncology, as part of its commitment to delivering on this mission at the highest levels. Dr. Weitzel's expertise will help CancerIQ continue to advance the goals of CancerX and the President's Cancer Panel.
"Bringing cancer genomics into everyday care can be a challenge due to many factors, including provider expertise, genetic testing access and long-term medical management. CancerIQ's efforts to provide critical practice support address these challenges closely align with my personal mission to expand access to cancer risk assessment for all patients." said Dr. Weitzel. "As a strategic advisor to CancerIQ, I look forward to driving continued innovation in this space."
Dr. Weitzel's past research emphasizes precision prevention and implementation science to expand access to cancer risk reduction tools and address disparities at both the local and global levels. He is a Breast Cancer Research Foundation Scholar, support that enabled him to develop the Genomic Risk Assessment for Cancer Implementation and Sustainment (GRACIAS) project, which aims to reduce disparities in hereditary breast cancer outcomes throughout Latin America. He was the founder of the Clinical Cancer Genomics Community Research Network and his influential contributions to cancer research and human genetics education merited the 2019 American Society of Human Genetics Award for Human Genetics Education, the 2020 American Society of Clinical Oncology Conquer Cancer Research Professorship in Breast Cancer Disparities and an honorary professorship for the Latin American School of Oncology.
Dr. Weitzel is also a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and served on the NCCN Genetics/Familial Risk Assessment practice guidelines committee for 19 years. He earned his medical degree from University of Minnesota Medical School.
About CancerIQ
CancerIQ is the only cancer-focused precision health platform that empowers healthcare providers to detect cancer earlier and prevent it altogether across all patient populations. Integrated directly into real-time EHR workflows, CancerIQ makes it easy to gather comprehensive patient data, automatically map it to the latest evidence-based guidelines, and expand access to personalized care plans, cutting-edge clinical solutions, and genomic innovations. Learn more at canceriq.com, and follow CancerIQ on Twitter or LinkedIn.
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SOURCE CancerIQ
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