2016 ACS CAN Texas Cancer Policy Forum - Houston, Thursday, 8/4/16
The Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) and Texas’ Role as a Leader in the Fight Against Cancer
The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) will host its third annual Texas Cancer Policy Forum series, uniting key leaders and decision-makers in business, health care, and government to consider the impact of the Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) in preventing unnecessary cancer deaths, pioneering new cancer treatments, and strengthening the Texas economy through its life-saving work.
Texas voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment in 2007 establishing CPRIT and authorizing the state to issue $3 billion in bonds to fund groundbreaking cancer research and prevention programs in Texas. As Texas crosses the halfway point in distributing these funds, a conversation is beginning about the future of CPRIT and where Texas goes next.
Featured speakers include:
Jim Allison, Ph.D., is chair of Immunology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Dr, Allison’s research into the biology of T cells, white blood cells that serve as the immune system’s customized guided weapons, led him to develop an antibody that blocks an off switch on those cells, unleashing an immune response against cancer. Dr. Allison is a CPRIT scholar and winner of the 2015 Lasker-DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award, the nation’s highest honor for clinical medical research.
Dorothy Gibbons is Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer for The Rose, the leading nonprofit breast health care organization in southeast Texas. Since its launch in 1986, The Rose has served nearly 500,000 patients and was able to extend services to an additional 10 counties through CPRIT funding.
State Rep. Sarah Davis has served as a member of the Texas House of Representatives since 2011. Rep. Davis currently serves on the Public Health committee and is a member of the Texas Women’s Health Caucus.
Jenny Philip is a regional economist and director of research at the Greater Houston Partnership. She studies Houston’s economic trends and will provide perspective on the health care sector, and the importance of research to the Texas Medical Center.
Guests will include leading researchers, oncologists, health professionals, citizen-volunteers, health care advocates, and other interested individuals. Questions will be taken during the event.
Light refreshments will be served. The event is free and open to the public.
This event is generously supported by the following partners:
