Alicia Staley, Patient Advocacy Leader, Selected To Participate In Vice President Joe Biden’s Cancer Moonshot Summit

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Alicia Staley, a three-time cancer survivor, founder of #BCSM, a leading breast cancer social community, and Patient Advocacy Manager for Cure Forward, an online precision medicine platform for cancer patients, has been selected to participate in the National Cancer Moonshot Summit in Washington, D.C. on June 29.

“Recently, I have turned that mission into a career with my role at Cure Forward. We need to keep driving this, and being invited to represent patients at the Moonshot Summit is a wonderful opportunity to bring attention to patient perspectives as the nation rallies against cancer.”

Hosted by Vice President Joe Biden, the summit is designed to facilitate interaction among cancer researchers, oncologists, philanthropists, patients, advocates, and other experts. Attendees will participate in presentations, working sessions and a variety of digital activities in order to collaborate and address ways to achieve the goal of doubling the rate of progress in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and care of cancer.

“The Moonshot cannot be achieved by one person, one organization, one discipline, or even one collective approach,” Vice President Biden said. “Solving the complexities of cancer will require the formation of new alliances to defy the bounds of innovation and accelerate the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and — ultimately — a cure. It’s going to require millions of Americans speaking up and contributing what they’re able. That’s what the Cancer Moonshot Summit is all about.”

Staley was invited as a patient advocate representative to provide insight from the patient community. Diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma at the age of nineteen, later overcoming breast cancer twice in her 30s, and more recently as a leader of online communities, Staley is well aware of the emotions and challenges that patients face at all stages of diagnosis and treatment.

“In the last several years, I have seen social media emerge as an indispensable resource for cancer patients. Communities can help individuals to find their way through the confusing world of cancer care, and can tackle some of the fundamental issues that patients face today. Making those communities happen has been my mission,” explains Staley. “Recently, I have turned that mission into a career with my role at Cure Forward. We need to keep driving this, and being invited to represent patients at the Moonshot Summit is a wonderful opportunity to bring attention to patient perspectives as the nation rallies against cancer.”

In 2008, Staley joined Twitter to find and connect with other cancer survivors. In 2011, Staley co-founded #BCSM, which attracts over 250 global participants each week to its scheduled online discussions. Since its launch, #BCSM has been showcased at SXSW in 2013, 2014, and 2015, and is recognized as the gold standard for disease-specific Twitter chats.

Today, Staley is the Patient Advocacy Manager for Cure Forward, an online precision medicine platform made for cancer patients and their families. Cure Forward helps individuals explore precision medicine testing, obtain their cancer diagnostic data, and use it to find care options including clinical trials. The company’s platform includes a social network for cancer patients that is rooted in science.

“We are thrilled for Alicia to have been selected to participate in this landmark event,” said Martin Naley, Cure Forward’s Founder. “She has made connecting with and advocating for cancer patients a significant part of her life. At Cure Forward, she works directly with our patient community, as a ‘mentor of mentors’, shaping a new type of patient-to-patient dialogue, where people use science to solve their disease and where clinical trials are considered at every step of a person’s care.”

About Cure Forward

Cure Forward bridges the gap between patients and precision medicine, beginning in cancer. Cure Forward provides a simple-to-use platform that allows patients to obtain their genomic data and use it to identify treatment options including clinical trials, solving critical business needs for diagnostic laboratories, health care providers and clinical trial recruiters. Cure Forward is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts and was incubated and launched by Apple Tree Partners, New York City. The company’s platform is in beta release at www.cureforward.com.

Media:
Coltrin & Associates
Jennifer Webb, 212-221-1616
Jennifer_webb@coltrin.com

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