Georgetown Lombardi Director Joins Blue Ribbon Panel Working Group for National Cancer Moonshot Initiative

Posted in GUMC Stories

April 29, 2016–Louis M. Weiner, MD, director of the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, has joined a blue ribbon panel-working group assembled by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to offer expert advice on the vision, goals and implementation of the National Cancer Moonshot initiative.

The NCI’s acting director Douglas R. Lowy, M.D., invited Weiner to be a part of the working group tasked with focusing on immunology and prevention.

“Through your participation, you will be filling an essential role in advising the Institute and the National Cancer Moonshot,” Lowy said in his April 27 letter to Weiner. 

Led by Vice President Joe Biden, the moonshot initiative aims to fast-track current cancer research efforts and break down barriers to progress to make more therapies available to patients while improving cancer prevention and early-stage detection. The findings and recommendations of the blue ribbon panel and working groups will report to the National Cancer Advisory Board later this summer.

“I am delighted to join the blue ribbon panel working group on cancer immunology and prevention,” Weiner said. “Immunology has a critical role to play in achieving the ambitious goals of the National Cancer Moonshot and I look forward to engaging in this important work.”

Christie Maillet
Lombardi Communications