National Foundation for Cancer Research Announces Leadership Transition

ROCKVILLE, Md., Feb. 08, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The National Foundation for Cancer Research (NFCR) today announced the promotion of Sujuan Ba, Ph.D., to president and chief executive officer. Dr. Ba, who joined NFCR in 1999 and has held various positions ranging from chief science officer, chief operating officer and president, has been responsible for developing innovative scientific platforms for global collaboration that have served to rapidly break down barriers slowing cancer research and accelerate the development of next-generation treatments. Longtime CEO, Franklin Salisbury, Jr., will become CEO emeritus and continue to help guide the organization into a new era of supporting innovative and entrepreneurial translational research programs.

Since its founding in 1973, NFCR has championed many of the world's top cancer scientists and research physicians. For nearly five decades, the organization has provided research grants to launch and sustain exploratory laboratory work often deemed too risky by private, government or other non-profit sources. Its scientists and programs have been directly and/or indirectly responsible for significant discoveries and advances in cancer research which are saving people's lives.

As president and CEO, Dr. Ba will reaffirm NFCR's commitment to innovative basic cancer research, as well as create an infrastructure to support a virtual pipeline of cancer therapeutics development from the discovery phase through several stages of clinical evaluation.

"This is an exciting time for cancer research, with advances bringing promise and hope to patients around the globe," summarized Dr. Ba. "I look forward to engage partners and other organizations to accelerate the translation of the innovative technologies to patients in new, creative and impactful ways."

"Sujuan has for the past two decades been passionate, skillful and resourceful in guiding NFCR's support to cancer researchers, stewardship of donors, engagement with the public, adaptation to change and continuation of our commitment to research," said Joseph Franlin, chairman of the Foundation's board of directors. "We are confident that she is the right person to not only continue steering the organization along the right course but also embody our vision of a powerful and effective force in the fight against cancer."

About the National Foundation for Cancer Research
The National Foundation for Cancer Research (NFCR) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides scientists in the lab the funding they need to make and apply game-changing discoveries in cancer treatments, detection, prevention and, ultimately, a cure. It has distinguished itself in the cancer sector by emphasizing long-term, transformative research often overlooked by other major funding sources. With the help of more than 5.3 million individual donors over the last 46 years, NFCR has delivered more than $380 million in funding to public education and cancer research leading to several important, life-saving discoveries. For more information, visit http://www.nfcr.org.

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SOURCE National Foundation for Cancer Research