Society to hold ResearcHERS Celebration

Women make invaluable contributions to cancer research, yet they are consistently underrepresented in the field. Aiming to change that dynamic, the American Cancer Society launched the ResearcHERS: Women Fighting Cancer campaign.

This movement brought together influential female leaders to fuel the work of women scientists, according to a statement.

The inaugural ResearcHERS of the Knowledge Corridor campaign is part of a national movement to engage women to raise awareness and funds to bolster women-led cancer research, members said.

With support from our presenting sponsor, Pfizer, female leaders from a variety of industries and sectors across the Knowledge Corridor, an area from western Massachusetts, south through Hartford all the way to New Haven, have worked to ensure the unique perspective of women remains a powerful and growing force in cancer research, members said.

The 2020 ResearcHERS of the Knowledge Corridor Ambassadors include Anne Campbell Maxwell, an ACS board member; Cara Cole, of Team 413 William Raveis Real Estate; Carol Campbell, of Chicopee Industrial Contractors; Deb Reardon, a Boehringer Ingelheim and ACS board member; Debbie Allen Wright, a brand spokesperson, and Dr. Harriet Kluger, a Yale researcher.

Also Heather Veach, a registered nurse; Kate Kane, of Northwestern Mutual; Krissy Sullivan, of FASTSIGNS; Lisa Verville, of O'Connell Development ; Maitreyee Shah, of the American Cancer Society; Melinda Irwin, a Yale researcher; Molly Burich, of Boehringer Ingelheim; Nicole Kuhnly, a nursing researcher and ACS grantee; Sarah Rosecrans, of Boehringer Ingelheim; Sneha Jayaraj, of MetroHartford Alliance, and Wendy Matthews, of the American Cancer Society.

The society will hold a virtual event from 9 to 10 a.m. Aug. 14. The keynote speaker is national researcher Alpa Patel.

There is no cost to attend, but donations are needed more than ever due to a cancer research funding crisis created by the pandemic, according to the statement. To register, go to https://bit.ly/30oZL8g.