events Archives - Page 4 of 7 - Sanford Burnham Prebys
Institute News

2023 Fishman Fund Award ceremony celebrates postdoctoral scholars

AuthorSusan Gammon
Date

September 15, 2023

Three talented early-career researchers were presented with prestigious Fishman Fund Awards at the 22nd annual ceremony on September 20.

More than 100 generous benefactors, past award winners, and family and friends joined the celebration held at the Sanford Consortium.

Fishman Fund co-founder Reena Horowitz greeted the audience and shared how she, along with Mary Bradley, established the Fishman Fund Awards in 2001 to honor Dr. William and Lillian Fishman, founders of Sanford Burnham Prebys.

The Fishmans were committed to fostering the careers of young scientists. The award ceremony honors our founders’ dedication to furthering the careers of promising scientists by gathering each autumn to celebrate exceptional postdocs.

Before the awards were presented to the winners, David Brenner, MD, CEO of Sanford Burnham Prebys, described how important postdocs are to scientific discovery and why investing in their careers is a vital step toward improving human health.

“The postdoc experience is important, as it provides more training, experience and skills, before entering a more permanent science career,” said Brenner. “Postdocs represent the next generation of imagination and innovation, which much be recognized, encouraged and emboldened.”

Meet this year’s Fishman Fund Award winners

The Reena Horowitz & Mary Bradley Fishman Fund Founders Prize
Cheng-Ju Kuo, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher in the lab of Dr. Caroline Kumsta, is studying the biology of aging. Dr. Kuo is unraveling the molecular mechanisms linked to a cellular recycling process that declines with age. His findings could open up new possibilities to treat age-released diseases. Dr. Kuo’s goal is to establish his own laboratory where he will study aging and train the next generation of scientists.

Jeanne Jones and Kathryn Fishback Fishman Fund Prize
Alicia Llorente, PhD, a postdoctoral associate in the lab of Dr. Brooke Emerling, is investigating how breast cancer cells become resistant to therapy. Dr. Llorente combines her expertise in lipid kinases with cancer biology to open possibilities for novel therapeutics for therapy-resistant breast cancer. Her career goal is to combine research with teaching by obtaining a faculty position at a university.

Lenka Finci and Erna Viterbi Fishman Fund Prize
Theo Tzaridis, MD, is a postdoctoral associate in the lab of Dr. Peter Adams, where he focuses on aggressive brain tumors. His research led to the identification of a key checkpoint molecule widely expressed in brain tumors, which is a significant step toward improving immunotherapy as a treatment for brain tumors. Dr. Tzaridis plans to become a leader in translating research findings into clinical trials.

Fishman Fund winners undergo a rigorous selection process that includes a personal interview and a presentation to the selection committee. All winners receive a $10,000 career development award that can be used to attend workshops, network and travel to national and international conferences to learn about the latest developments in their research fields.

A special thank-you to the Fishman Fund donors who make these awards possible.

Institute News

Back by popular demand: The Rising Stars Symposium at Sanford Burnham Prebys

AuthorMiles Martin
Date

May 17, 2023

The annual event aims to foster greater diversity in biomedical research and shine a spotlight on the next generation of scientific leaders.

Sanford Burnham Prebys recently hosted its second annual Rising Stars Symposium, an event that showcases the biomedical research of exceptional postdoctoral and junior faculty candidates from across the country.

“This was such a valuable learning experience for me,” says Rising Star Laura Menocal, currently a PhD candidate at Weill Cornell Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. “Participating in the Rising Stars Symposium gave me an important opportunity not only to share my own scientific accomplishments, but also to network and connect with other scientists who share the same passions at an institution that actively fosters inclusivity.”

The 12 Rising Stars were invited, all expenses paid, to the Institute to present their research, network and learn more about postdoctoral and junior faculty opportunities there. 

“This year’s Stars shone bright with their promise and dedication to science,” says Angelica Rocha, PhD, diversity officer, head of the DEI Council at Sanford Burnham Prebys and one of the key organizers of the Symposium. “Their work could lead to the scientific breakthroughs that change the way we view and treat disease. They are at a pivotal stage in their careers, and we would be thrilled if they made our Institute their new home.” 

The event was hosted by the NCI-designated Cancer Center’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Team and the Institute’s DEI Recruiting Committee, who strive to create an inclusive workforce through equitable hiring, recruitment, and retention practices. 

Laura Menocal

Laura Menocal, PhD candidate, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences

“Many organizations use diversity and inclusion as buzzwords without taking any concrete steps to actually create inclusive systems and environments,” says Menocal. “Sanford Burnham Prebys is breaking this mold by hosting the Rising Stars Symposium, and I am so proud to have been able to participate.”

After a brief introduction from President and CEO David Brenner, MD, UC San Diego professor JoAnn Trejo, PhD, opened the day of presentations with a keynote address discussing her research on cellular signaling and her experience as a first-generation college student. She also spoke about her years of experience promoting diversity in the biomedical scientists and mentoring early-career scientists.

“I didn’t grow up in a family of scientists. I actually grew up in a family of migrant farmworkers,” said Trejo during her talk. “I had no immediate role models and no one to guide me into what I was going to do. It was mentors who helped me get there—crossing paths with the right people, making connections, and getting good advice and guidance.”

In addition to presenting their work, the Stars were the guests of honor at an afternoon reception celebrating diversity in science. They also participated in professional development workshops, toured the laboratories and core facilities of the Institute, and met with faculty to learn more about career opportunities.

Institute News

Where science meets patients: Sanford Children’s Research Center hosts inaugural symposium

AuthorMiles Martin
Date

May 10, 2023

The event celebrated 16 years of progress at the Center and connected scientists with the people most impacted by their work.

The Sanford Children’s Health Research Center at Sanford Burnham Prebys recently hosted its first-ever Children’s Health Research Symposium, which brought scientists and families together to learn about the latest research tackling childhood diseases.

“We’re all here because we want to improve the health of children,” said President and CEO David A. Brenner, MD, during his opening comments. “But this event also shows the amazing amount of collaboration and collegiality across San Diego, because we have all types of people together from different backgrounds who want to develop therapies and cures for children affected by disease.”

The Sanford Children’s Health Research Center was established in 2008 with the help of a generous gift from Institute namesake T. Denny Sanford. Since then, the Center has been a world leader in children’s health research.

“T. Denny Sanford made an investment in children’s health 15 years ago, and I think that investment has paid off pretty well so far,” said Center director Hudson Freeze, PhD, in his introduction to the first scientific session. Freeze is among the world’s leading experts on congenital disorders of glycosylation (CDG), a rare group of genetic disorders that can cause serious, sometimes fatal, malfunctions of different organs and systems in the body.

“We’ve published over 600 scientific papers, and about half of those are translational studies, which means they’re helping turn scientific discoveries into real treatments for patients,” adds Freeze.

Professor Hudson Freeze with the Omler family

Professor Hudson Freeze with the Omler family

The day included presentations from researchers at Sanford Burnham Prebys, as well as from other research organizations studying childhood diseases. However, the highlight of the event was the afternoon reception, in which scientists had the opportunity to mingle and share a meal with families affected by rare childhood diseases.

Professor José Luis Millán (center) with the Fischer family (left) and the Britt family (right)

Professor José Luis Millán (center) with the Fischer family (left) and the Britt family (right)

Each researcher briefly introduced the family affected by the illness the scientist studies. This list included many longtime friends of the Institute, such as Damian Omler, who lives with a rare form of CDG; and Morgan Fischer, who was born with soft bone disease. Today, thanks to the help of a drug developed based on the research of Institute professor José Luis Millán, PhD, Morgan is a thriving teenager. This drug is also helping other children living with soft bone disease, including 10-year-old Aubrey Britt, who was in attendance with her family as well.

“Something so important that we keep as a tradition for scientific events at our Institute is to involve families that have been touched by the work of our faculty,” said Freeze. “They’re why we’re all here.”

The full list of talks included: 

Sanford Children’s Health Research Center

  • José Luis Millán, PhD “Developing therapeutics for soft bones and ectopic calcification disorders”
  • Duc Dong, PhD “From hope for few to drug for many—why rare is precious”
  • Evan Snyder, MD PhD “A clinical trial using human neural stem cells for neuroprotection in perinatal asphyxia, a major cause of cerebral palsy in kids”
  • Anne Bang, PhD “Drug screens of human-induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) derived neuronal networks on multi-electrode arrays”
  • Pamela Itkin-Ansari, PhD “Proinsulin misfolding in diabetes”
  • Yu Yamaguchi, MD PhD “Multiple hereditary exostoses—from genetics to potential drug targets”
  • Hudson Freeze, PhD “Fucose therapy: Revising bedrock biochemistry”

Sanford Health

  • David Pearce, PhD “From rare diseases to type-1 diabetes: Research that impacts children at Sanford Health”

Frontiers in Congenital Disorders of Glycosylation Consortium

  • Eva Morava, MD, PhD “Clinical trials in Glyco-land”
  • Ethan Perlstein, PhD “Precision drug repurposing: Patient avatar to pioneer study to Phase 3 trial”

UC San Diego

  • Lars Bode, PhD “Human milk-based therapeutics and diagnostics to protect preterm babies from necrotizing enterocolitis”
  • Stephanie Cherqui, PhD “Hematopoietic stem cell gene therapy for cystinosis: Mechanism of action and clinical trial update”
Institute News

Behind the scenes at Sanford Burnham Prebys’ Cancer Center

AuthorMiles Martin
Date

March 28, 2023

Cancer Center open house connects San Diego community with scientists working toward cancer cures

The Institute’s NCI-designated Cancer Center hosted an open house to showcase the latest research advances in cancers of the digestive system. The event was sponsored by the center’s Community Advisory Board (CAB), which provides a link to community networks of people—including patients, survivors and their loved ones.

“These events are especially helpful for people affected by cancer because our researchers can explain the science behind the disease and the approaches we use to find new treatments,” says Associate Professor Cosimo Commisso, PhD, who co-hosted the event with Adjunct Associate Professor Pamela Itkin-Ansari, PhD “As researchers, it’s critical that we have community participation to influence our research—so we benefit as well.” 

The open house, which was free to the public, fulfills a key part of the CAB’s mission—to create awareness of the cancer research being done at the Institute and to promote dialogue between its scientists and the community. Guests had the chance to mingle with cancer researchers, and there was also a panelist table, where they could ask questions directly to a panel including two cancer survivors and a clinician.

The theme of the open house was cancers of the digestive system, which includes pancreatic cancer, liver cancer, stomach cancer and colorectal cancer. Although these cancers are very diverse, one thing many cancers of the digestive system have in common is that they take a long time to diagnose and are difficult to treat. 

“These are devastating cancers,” says Commisso. “We’ve doubled the survival rates for pancreatic cancer since I started working in this field over a decade ago, but it’s still only around 10%. And that’s just not good enough.”

Attendees also got behind-the-scenes tours of labs, including Commisso’s, where researchers are working to halt pancreatic cancer by blocking nutrients—in essence, starving tumor cells of the fuel they need to grow and proliferate. 

“We have a lot of researchers taking different approaches to cancer here at the Institute, and it’s important for people affected by cancer to know that while we’re still a long way off from ending cancer forever, we’re still making progress,” adds Commisso.

Institute News

Sanford Burnham Prebys celebrates one of its legends

AuthorMiles Martin
Date

March 8, 2023

In 2022, Distinguished Professor Emeritus Erkki Ruoslahti, MD, PhD, was awarded the Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award, the top American prize for biomedical research.

Ruoslahti was also among the first scientists to join the Institute in the late 1970s, where he completed this award-winning research. To celebrate Ruoslahti’s career and accomplishments, Sanford Burnham Prebys hosted a special lecture with the esteemed scientist as well as a celebratory reception afterward.

“Erkki’s illustrious career is one that keeps us all inspired—me, especially, as I follow in his footsteps in leading this Institute,” says David A. Brenner, MD, president and CEO of Sanford Burnham Prebys. “His Lasker Award win is so very much deserved. Not only does it recognize his outstanding influence in the field, but it also elevates the status of our Institute in the research community.”

Ruoslahti, who shares the award with Richard O. Hynes from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Timothy A. Springer from Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, began his presentation with the research that led to his discovery of the integrins—proteins found on the surface of cells that helps them attach to, and communicate with, nearby cells and the extracellular matrix. 

Ruoslahti’s road to the discovery of integrins began at the University of Helsinki, where, along with his colleagues, he discovered fibronectin, a protein that helps surround, support and give structure to cells and tissues in the body. However, the biggest breakthroughs were yet to come.

Erkki Ruoslahti gives lecture to full a full auditorium

Ruoslahti gave his presentation to a packed house in Fishman Auditorium

“My research on fibronectin and the subsequent discovery of the integrins really got going in my first years at Sanford Burnham Prebys,” says Ruoslahti, who first joined the Institute in 1979, when it was known as the La Jolla Cancer Research Foundation.

The Ruoslahti research team discovered that a simple sequence of three amino acids, called RGD, within fibronectin, attaches directly to cells. They were then able to synthesize RGD and use it as a tool to discover the cell-surface receptors today known as the integrins. This seemingly small discovery created an entirely new subdiscipline of molecular biology.

“The Lasker Award is given for a fundamental discovery that opens up a new area of biomedical science. It is America’s top biomedical research award and is often referred to as ‘America’s Nobel,’” says Brenner. “This is a profound honor, one that is only given to those who have made the greatest impact in our field.”

In 1989, Ruoslahti became president and CEO of the Institute, a position he held until returning to full-time research in 2002. He became a Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Sanford Burnham Prebys in 2020. Ruoslahti has previously received the Japan Prize, the Gairdner Foundation International Award, the G.H.A. Clowes Memorial Award, and the Robert J. and Claire Pasarow Foundation Medical Research Award. He is also a Knight of the Order of the White Rose of Finland, a Commander of the Order of the Lion of Finland and is among the most cited scientists in the world.

Institute News

Sanford Burnham Prebys celebrates 46 years of discoveries

AuthorMiles Martin
Date

July 27, 2022

Happy birthday, Sanford Burnham Prebys

Sanford Burnham Prebys recently hosted a celebration to honor the anniversary of the Institute’s founding. More than 200 scientists, students and staff gathered to commemorate 46 years of world-class biomedical research. 

“I’ve seen the Institute grow from just five employees to the more than 500 we have today,” said Institute Professor José Luis Millán, PhD, who emceed the event. Millán joined the Institute in 1977, just one year after its founding. “What is important for the Institute now, as we reach middle age, is to reflect on our successes as we move forward into the next decades of our life.”

Attendees enjoyed an all-you-can-eat ice cream truck and a prize raffle, where guests won Institute hats, mugs and other prizes. Longtime supporters of the Institute also spoke, including Malin Burnham, Nina Fishman, and Debbie Turner, partner of the late Conrad Prebys. The party closed with a recorded birthday song from Institute Professor Hudson Freeze, PhD

Burnham recounted how he met the Institute’s two other namesakes, T. Denny Sanford and Conrad Prebys, reflecting on how these chance meetings helped the Institute grow to become the world-class facility it is today. He also expressed his gratitude to the staff. 

“All of you are a part of the family, and that is what I’ve enjoyed as much as anything in my 40 years with this organization,” said Burnham during his comments. “I want to thank each and every one of you for being a part of this organization.”

Decades of discoveries
Sanford Burnham Prebys was founded on July 7, 1976, as the La Jolla Cancer Research Foundation. Since then, the Institute has established itself as a world leader in biomedical research, where scientists can work collaboratively to discover cures.

It all started when founder William Fishman, MD, PhD, left his post as professor, director and founder of the Tufts Cancer Research Center in Boston. He, along with wife and career partner, Lillian Fishman, moved west to San Diego with a $180,000 grant from the National Cancer Institute, which they used to start the La Jolla Cancer Research Foundation.

“[The Fishmans] were dedicated to the idea of pure science,” explains Nina Fishman, daughter of William and Lillian. Nina Fishman is a longtime supporter of Sanford Burnham Prebys, and she recently coauthored Development of a California Research Organization, a book chronicling the Institute’s history. “They wanted a place where scientists could focus on their work.”

At that time, the foundation consisted of five employees, a rented office space, and lab equipment pieced together from spare parts. Today, it is a world-class medical research institute with a graduate school and one of only seven NCI-designated basic cancer centers in the country.

“My parents were the founders of the past, but you are the founders of the future,” adds Fishman.

Institute News

Sanford Burnham Prebys raises flag for Pride Month

AuthorMiles Martin
Date

June 13, 2022

The ceremony featured speakers from the Institute and was the first formal LGTBQ+ Pride event to be held on campus.

Scientists and staff from across the Institute gathered to celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride at Sanford Burnham Prebys by attending a Pride flag raising ceremony. Our employees spoke to the importance of inclusion in STEM, and the Pride flag was hoisted from the main campus flagpole.

“By supporting LGBTQ+ and other underrepresented groups, institutions signal that they are open to different viewpoints and people, which is crucial,” says Luca Caputo, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Pier Lorenzo Puri, MD Caputo has been heavily involved in the Institute’s DEI initiatives, and he is also a co-founder of the Queer Science Society, an organization that raises awareness on issues facing LGBTQ+ scholars in STEM. 

“Having a celebration such as the Pride flag ceremony here at Sanford Burnham Prebys helps us support LGBTQ+ scientists at the Institute and beyond,” he adds. 

After an introduction by Alessandra Sacco, PhD, Caputo spoke about the importance of Pride Month and highlighted the need to promote inclusion and diversity in STEM. 

“This is just the first step in the right direction of making Sanford Burnham Prebys a truly inclusive campus and Institute,” he said during his remarks. “I and others on campus are going to hold [our Institute] accountable for numerous steps that are necessary to create a real welcoming and supportive environment, not just for queer scholars but for all underrepresented groups.”

In addition to these comments, Caputo shared his personal story as an LGBTQ+ scientist and briefly described the “invisible minority” phenomenon for LGBTQ+ scientists. This term refers to the fact that the LGBTQ+ community is often excluded from studies aimed at understanding diversity in STEM.

“The lack of inclusion in demographics has a profound effect on efforts to increase equity and inclusion for the LGBTQ+ community” says Caputo. “Many undergraduates do not know or have access to a single LGBTQ+ scientist.”

After Luca told his story, Professor Hudson Freeze, PhD spoke to the spirit of inclusion that Sanford Burnham Prebys was founded on. He also mused on the future of inclusion at the Institute.

“This [flag raising] is a good start, but it’s not the end – We have to keep this going,” Freeze said during his remarks. 

And while this was the first formal Pride event to be held at Sanford Burnham Prebys, it certainly will not be the last.

“Pride means freedom. Pride means hope that future generations of LGBTQ+ people won’t have any doubts about themselves and their worthiness to be in STEM,” says Caputo. “Supporting LGBTQ scientist is simply the right thing to do.”

Institute News

Sanford Burnham Prebys hosts inaugural Rising Stars Symposium

AuthorMiles Martin
Date

May 10, 2022

“I had an exceptionally memorable experience,” says Rising Star Myron Keith Gibert Jr., a PhD candidate at the University of Virginia.

Sanford Burnham Prebys recently hosted the first-ever Rising Stars Symposium, a three-day postdoctoral recruitment event that provided professional development, leadership training, networking opportunities and mentorship sessions for 12 early-career researchers who were selected based on their academic achievements and research scholarship. Faculty and staff were invited to attend a full day of presentations by the Rising Stars.

“It was an honor to host our inaugural Rising Stars!“ says Angelica Rocha, Ph.D , diversity officer at Sanford Burnham Prebys. Rocha adds, “They are emerging scientific leaders from across the country who impressed us with their work and inspired us with their dedication to equity and inclusion. I would be ecstatic if they joined our Institute.”

The event was an institute-wide diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiative hosted by the DEI Recruitment Committee, one of the three subcommittees at the Institute. The Recruitment Committee promotes an inclusive workplace through recruiting strategies that are equitable and result in increased representation for underrepresented groups.

After a brief introduction from President Kristiina Vuori, MD PhD, Assistant Professor Svasti Haricharan, PhD opened the day of presentations with a keynote address discussing her research on the genetic differences in breast cells of Black women and the consequences for health disparities, as well as the disparities in representation among academic researchers conducting this work.

Young male researcher giving presentation

For example, in 2019, less than 6% of doctorates were earned by Black people, despite making up about 14% of the population. Even fewer progress to faculty positions.

Outdoor reception

“Events like the Rising Stars Symposium provide opportunities to capture the leaks in the science training pipeline and continue to provide career development for scientists from diverse backgrounds,” adds Gibert.

In addition to presenting their work, the Stars were the guests of honor at a reception, which also included poster presentations by researchers from Sanford Burnham Prebys. The event concluded with networking and mentorship sessions between each of the Stars and faculty at the Institute, with whom they could potentially conduct research in the future.

“The Symposium opened my eyes to the exciting research taking place at Sanford Burnham Prebys,” says Rising Star Sedelia Dominguez, a PhD candidate at Washington State University. “I gained confidence in myself as a researcher and was able to find a potential place for my next career step.”

Institute News

Rare Disease Day gathers scientists, doctors and families

AuthorMiles Martin
Date

March 3, 2022

The 2022 Rare Disease Day Symposium took place last weekend at the Dana On Mission Bay Resort in San Diego. The event, sponsored by Sanford Burnham Prebys and CDG CARE, brought together researchers, clinicians and families from around the world to discuss new medical breakthroughs and meet other families living with rare diseases.

The 2022 Rare Disease Day Symposium took place last weekend at the Dana On Mission Bay Resort in San Diego. The event, sponsored by Sanford Burnham Prebys and CDG CARE, brought together researchers, clinicians and families from around the world to discuss new medical breakthroughs and meet other families living with rare diseases.

Rare Disease Day is celebrated on the last day of February to raise awareness for rare diseases, defined by the United States government as those that affect fewer than 20,000 people. Although there are more than 7,000 individual types of rare diseases that affect more than 30 million people in the United States, this year’s conference gathered more than 200 people focused on CDG, an extremely rare group of genetic disorders that affect children. 

CDG, which stands for congenital disorders of glycosylation, occurs when sugar molecules on many of our proteins are absent or incomplete. CDG causes serious, often fatal, malfunctions in various organ systems throughout the body.

“This is a chance for the global CDG community to come together, support one another and continue to try to find treatments,” says Hudson Freeze, PhD, director of the Human Genetics Program at Sanford Burnham Prebys. “It’s always my favorite weekend of the year, and I’m thrilled that we’re able to do it again safely.” Freeze’s primary research focus is CDG, and he has personally worked with more than 300 patients. 

Exchanging knowledge
The three-day symposium opened Friday morning with introductory comments from three important figures and philanthropists in Sanford Burnham Prebys’ history: T. Denny Sanford, Malin Burnham and Debra Turner. Congressman Scott Peterson also spoke on the importance of funding medical discoveries. 

“Our job is to make a positive difference. We do that best when we all work together,” said Sanford in his video introduction. “Congratulations on all your work. You make me very proud.”

This year, 19 scientists and clinicians in total spoke on the latest research in modeling, treating and understanding CDG. The full program of presentations can be found here.

Connecting families
Although Rare Disease Day is an important opportunity to share the latest scientific research, one of the highlights of the event doesn’t involve science at all. To provide space for families to take a break from the presentations and socialize, staff and volunteers transformed the Bayside Conference Room of the Dana resort into a child care and respite area packed full of toys and games.

In addition to giving families space to play, Rare Disease Day hosted several group activities for families, including a magic show on Saturday and a surprise visit on Sunday morning from Disney’s Anna and Olaf.

​Longtime friend of the institute Damian Omler, a thirteen-year-old who is the only person living with his rare genetic mutation, had a great time dancing along to “Let it Go” and playing catch with his father, Donnie.

And while the joy in the respite conference room was palpable, there was something else, less tangible, in the air as well: hope.

“Meetings like this bring us hope and help us raise awareness for CDG,” says Donnie. “That gives us a sense of purpose each and every time we attend the conference. And we won’t stop, even 20 years from now.” 

Omler family

Damian Omler and his family, parents Donnie and Gracie and brother DJ, had a great time at Rare Disease Day the year (image credit: CDG CARE)

Institute News

Mark your calendars: Padres Pedal the Cause is back

AuthorMiles Martin
Date

January 20, 2022

Sanford Burnham Prebys is gearing up for next year’s Padres Pedal the Cause (PPTC), an annual fundraising race that invites participants to cycle, spin, run or walk to support cancer research in the San Diego area. The event, scheduled for April 9, 2022, at Petco Park, is currently planned to be held in person for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic.

Leveraging the power of San Diego
PPTC was founded in 2013 by two-time lymphoma survivor Bill Koman and his wife, Amy. Thankful for the lifesaving care that Bill received, the Koman family was determined to pay it forward to ensure that others had the same outcome. With this goal in mind, the couple created PPTC, a cancer fundraising cycling challenge operating in partnership with the San Diego Padres.

Since the inaugural ride of PPTC, the organization has raised more than $15 million and funded 73 collaborative research projects in San Diego, including six clinical trials. They’ve also expanded and grown, merging with the Immunotherapy Foundation under a new name: Curebound.

Together, these two organizations share the belief that discovering a cure for cancer can be made possible by harnessing the unique power of San Diego—home to three nationally recognized National Institutes of Health cancer institutions and a renowned pediatric hospital. Last year, Curebound welcomed two new research partners: La Jolla Institute for Immunology and Scripps Research. They join Sanford Burnham Prebys, Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego, the Salk Institute, and Rady Children’s Hospital in collaborating to accelerate cancer research into cures.

A pivotal year for Padres Pedal the Cause
This is an important year for PPTC. After a record-breaking event in 2019—which had almost 3,000 participants and raised more than $3 million—COVID-19 presented challenges. The next PPTC event wasn’t held until spring 2021, moving to a virtual format due to the pandemic.

That event had 1,578 participants and raised $1.5 million. And while these numbers demonstrate the commitment of the Pedal the Cause community to continue their good work despite the pandemic, the amount is less than that received for the 2019 event, demonstrating the obstacles the community faced to raise those funds.

Now, PPTC is ready to ride at full speed for the first time in more than two years.

Join Team Sanford Burnham Prebys
Padres Pedal the Cause ’22 will take place on April 9, 2022, at Petco Park, and registration is now open for the Sanford Burnham Prebys team. Whether you’re ready to ride, run, walk, spin, participate virtually or even just cheer from the sidelines, 100% of every dollar raised funds lifesaving cancer research.

Ride with Sanford Burnham Prebys this April, and help us create a world without cancer.

Join Team Sanford Burnham Prebys