Kathy Giusti

In 1998, following her diagnosis with multiple myeloma, Ms. Giusti founded the MMRF to fund innovative myeloma research and drug discovery. Having raised more than $120 million to date, the MMRF is the world's number one funder of myeloma research. As an extension of the MMRF's mission, Ms. Giusti founded the MMRC in 2004 to enable leading research institutions to work with industry to speed the discovery and development of effective new treatments. Comprising 15 academic institutions across North America, the MMRC is widely recognized for breaking down barriers in tissue banking, data management, genomics, and clinical trials, and is considered an optimal research model to accelerate the development of new therapies. Ms. Giusti received her MBA in general management from Harvard Business School and graduated from the University of Vermont magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences. She began her career in 1980 with Merck & Co., and later joined the Gillette Company. In 1993, she joined G.D. Searle & Co., where she last served as Executive Director of Searle's worldwide arthritis franchise. Ms. Giusti has received several awards for her efforts to advance medical research and accelerate drug development, including the Centennial Medal for Distinguished Public Service from the American Association for Cancer Research, the Partners in Progress Award from the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the Healthcare Businesswomen's Association's Woman of the Year Award, and Harvard Business School Entrepreneurial Award. Her efforts have also been recognized by several notable media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The New Yorker, Forbes, The Economist, Time, CNBC, CBS Evening News, and NBC Nightly News. Ms. Giusti has served on numerous boards, including the Institute of Medicine's National Cancer Policy Board and the Cancer Leadership Council. Today, she continues to serve on the National Cancer Advisory Board, an appointment she received in 2003 from President Bush, and is a member of the Board of Directors for IMS Health. She lives in Connecticut with her husband, Paul, and her children, Nicole, who is 16, and David, who is 13.