BETTER OUTCOMES
FOR BREAST CANCER & BEYOND
FOUNDER & CEO
Kristen Dahlgren is an award winning journalist turned Breast Cancer advocate and founder of the nonprofit, Cancer Vaccine Coalition.
For the first 30 years of her career, Kristen traveled the world, documenting some of the biggest news stories of our time. She reported for NBC Nightly News and NBC's Today show, was nominated for an Emmy award for leading the network's coverage of the Parkland School shooting, served as a backup anchor for Lester Holt, and won an Edward R. Murrow award for her feature reporting.
In 2019, she was diagnosed with Breast Cancer and immediately decided to share her story to help other women to recognize the different ways their own cancers could present. Through her reporting, Kristen also learned about the research that was happening on Breast Cancer vaccines. After a conversation with UW Cancer Vaccine Institute's Dr. Nora Disis, Kristen realized that vaccines for breast cancer were no longer a "Pie in the sky" idea but something that was close and achievable.
She couldn't stand by and watch anyone else suffer. CVC is partnered with the nation’s top vaccine and cancer researchers with a goal of getting a safe, effective breast cancer vaccine to market in 5 to 10 years.
SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY BOARD
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Dr. Nora Disis
UW/CVI Director. American Cancer Society Clinical Research Professor. Editor-in-Chief for JAMA Oncology
Pioneering investigator and expert in breast and ovarian cancer immunology. -
Dr. Larry Norton
Medical Director, Evelyn H. Lauder Breast Center at Memorial Sloan Kettering Renowned as a leader in the development of drug treatments for breast cancer. Founding Scientific Director, BCRF.
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Dr. Beth Mittendorf
Brigham and Women's Hospital Vice Chair for Research, Co-Leader, Breast Program, Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center. Director, Breast Immuno-Oncology program. Co-Leader, Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
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Dr. G. Thomas Budd
Cleveland Clinic. Recently presented positive data from Phase I Trial of alpha-lactalbumin vaccine in high-risk operable triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) and patients at high genetic risk for TNBC
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Dr. Julia Tchou
Penn Medicine. Director of Breast Surgery Research. Professor of Clinical Surgery. Program Director, Breast Surgical Oncology Fellowship
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Paula Pohlmann
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Associate Professor Breast Medical Oncology. Associate Professor, Investigational Cancer Therapeutics.
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Dr. Powel Brown
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Molecular biologist and breast medical oncologist. Professor, Department of Clinical Cancer Prevention.
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Dr. Shipra Gandhi
Medical oncologist, breast cancer expert and Assistant Professor of Oncology
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center (Buffalo, NY)
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
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Cheryl Stamm, President
Experienced sales executive with 30+ years in the software industry/Fortune 500 companies. Former Board Chair Aviatra Accelerators, a women’s business incubator. Breast cancer survivor.
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Wesley Warren, J.D.
Executive Director of Translational Research Strategy & Partnerships at City of Hope. Identifies and secures collaborations with academia, pharma, & biotech to accelerate innovative cancer treatments.
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Hilary Jellison Simonds, MBA
Founding board member of The Brian & Sheila Jellison Family Foundation. Directs legal and financial investment teams. Experienced strategic marketing executive for Fortune 500 companies including PepsiCo and The Walt Disney Company.
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Saranne Rothberg
Stage IV survivor. CEO/Founder, The Comedy Cures Foundation Host, “Beating Cancer Daily” Ranked #1 cancer survivor podcast of 2024.
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Heather McCue, CPA, Treasurer
30+ years public and private accounting experience including KPMG Peat Marwick, LLP & Controller for Edison Mission Marketing and Trading (formally Citizens Power, LLC.
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Dr. Elizabeth Levick, MD Secretary
Radiation Oncologist. Recently retired from OHC where she served as Chairman of the Board & Chairman of the Commission on Cancer for a large hospital network.
ADVISORS
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Kiran Dhillon, PhD
Executive Director, Cancer Vaccine Institute University of Washington
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Judy Lewent
Former EVP & CFO, Merck & Co.
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Katie Hood
Former CEO, One Love Foundation, & Michael J. Fox Foundation
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Glen Waters
Head of Early Stage Tech & Life Sciences, HSBC Innovation Banking UK
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Andrew W. Lo
Professor of Finance, and the Director of the Laboratory for Financial Engineering at the MIT Sloan School of Management
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Seanna Crosley
Non-Profit development consultant who has worked with organizations like Michael J. Fox Foundation and Make-a-Wish.
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Victoria Recaño
Emmy Award-winning broadcast journalist, media strategist, consultant, content creator and producer
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Norma Lawrence Unser
President CCubed LLC, Development, event planning & marketing consultant
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Jennifer Lescott
Former managing director of strategy and operations at One Love Foundation, Finance, strategy, and operations at Morgan Stanley & Disney.
