• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) and Multiple Myeloma Research Consortium (MMRC) Announce Strategic New Hires

Posted on: Wednesday, 6 June 2007, 09:00 CDT

NORWALK, Conn., June 6 /PRNewswire/ -- The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) and the Multiple Myeloma Research Consortium (MMRC) announced today that Louise Perkins, PhD, has joined the MMRF and MMRC as Director of Research, and Sandra M. Wear, RN, has joined the MMRC as Associate Director of Operations. In a simultaneous leadership action, Scott Santarella, formerly Executive Director of the MMRF and Chief Administrative Officer of the MMRF and MMRC, was named Chief Operating Officer of both organizations and will retain his title as Executive Director of the MMRF.

Perkins and Wear will report to Kathy Giusti, the founder of the MMRF and MMRC, who retains her role as Chief Executive Officer. Both Perkins and Wear bring to the MMRF/MMRC many years of experience in oncology, predominantly in a pharmaceutical setting.

"We are excited to welcome Louise and Sandra," said Giusti. "Their proven experience and dedication to our goals will be tremendous assets in our continued efforts to accelerate the development of new therapies for the treatment of multiple myeloma."

As Director of Research, Perkins will be responsible for the strategic development and execution of the MMRF and MMRC research agenda. She has more than 15 years of oncology experience, most recently as Director of Cancer Research and previously Director of Research Licensing and Administration at Bayer Pharmaceuticals. Prior to joining Bayer, Perkins led a team of scientists focused on tumor biology and small molecule discovery at Schering- Plough Research Institute.

In her role as Associate Director of Operations, Wear will focus on the execution of pre-clinical and clinical projects within the Consortium. She has 27 years of experience as an oncology nurse and a senior industry manager within the healthcare, pharmaceutical and CRO industries. Prior to joining the MMRC, Wear served as Assistant Director of Clinical Operations at Purdue Pharma and Vice President of Regional Monitoring Operations at Endpoint Research.

Scott Santarella joined the MMRF as Executive Director in January 2000. In his new role as COO, continuing to report to Kathy Giusti, he will be responsible for the leadership associated with business operations for both the MMRF and MMRC, including fundraising, IT systems, human resources, programming, finances and operational management. Santarella will also work closely with the CEO and the Board of Directors on overall strategic planning for both organizations.

"During Scott's tenure as Executive Director, the MMRF has greatly increased its annual revenue and has earned top ratings from Charity Navigator and the American Institute of Philanthropy," said Giusti. "Scott's leadership as COO is certain to propel the MMRF and MMRC to even greater success in the future."

About the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation

The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) was established in 1998 as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization by twin sisters Karen Andrews and Kathy Giusti, a newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patient, with the unique mission of accelerating the search for a cure for multiple myeloma. Today, the MMRF is the largest non-profit foundation dedicated to the single mission of accelerating the search for a cure for multiple myeloma. As the world's number one funder of myeloma research, the MMRF has raised more than $70 million to fund more than 200 research grants at more than 70 research institutions around the globe. Currently, the MMRF is funding more than 30 new compounds and approaches - in pre-clinical testing and Phase I, II and III clinical trials - that show promise in treating patients at all stages of the disease. For more information about the MMRF, please visit http://www.multiplemyeloma.org/.

About the Multiple Myeloma Research Consortium (MMRC)

The Multiple Myeloma Research Consortium (MMRC) is a 509(a)3 non-profit organization that integrates leading academic institutions to accelerate drug development in multiple myeloma. It is comprised of the MMRC and 13 member institutions: City of Hope Cancer Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Emory University's Winship Cancer Institute, Hackensack University Medical Center, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Mayo Clinic, Ohio State University, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, St. Vincent's Comprehensive Cancer Center of Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Centers of New York, University Health Network (Princess Margaret Hospital), University of Chicago, University of Michigan, and Washington University.

The MMRC was founded in 2004 by Kathy Giusti, a myeloma patient, and with the help of the scientific community, as an optimal research model to rapidly address critical challenges in accelerating drug development and explore opportunities in the most promising areas of myeloma research-genomics, compound validation, and clinical trials. The MMRC is the only consortium to join academic institutions through membership agreements, customized IT systems, and an integrated tissue bank. For more information, please visit http://www.themmrc.org/.

Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation

CONTACT: Anne Quinn Young, Program Director of Multiple Myeloma ResearchFoundation, +1-203-652-0212, quinnyounga@themmrf.org

Web site: http://www.multiplemyeloma.org/http://www.themmrc.org/

Source: PRNewswire

More News in this Category