Cancer’s leading thinkers. Together in one room.
STATE OF CANCER RESEARCH
W. KIMRYN RATHMELL, MD, PHD, MMHC • SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER
The Forbeck Foundation has been foundational for me as a scientific leader. Ever since my first Forbeck meeting, I’ve looked for opportunities to push groups of scientists to expand beyond their individual perspectives and to create synergies in the spaces between their areas of expert insight. This is why I kept coming back to the Forbeck. To lead my own focus meetings in areas of cancer that are incredibly important to me, to support the Forbeck Fellows program that I so immediately benefitted from, and to serve on the Scientific Advisory Board, enabling and ensuring that the Forbeck meetings maintain this special aspect that makes them unique and valuable. One thing that was hard to do when I joined the federal service was to resign from my position on the Forbeck Scientific Advisory Board. Knowing my new role leading the NCI would be at the pinnacle of cancer, I was still looking for those opportunities to find magic in the spaces, and I instituted a number of
connections between the Forbeck and the NCI to move toward hosting a larger series of similar events–designed to foster large scale thinking outside of the box. Scientists are naturally curious, and the ability to focus deeply and intently on a specific problem is essential to getting many groundbreaking advances. However, the critical magic that the Forbeck taps into is being intentional in forcing that curiosity and focus to move briefly into a different and uncomfortable space. Sometimes it validates and reinforces the original line of investigation, other times it identifies a synergy with another, and sometimes it realizes a whole new facet of the amazing biology of cancer. So, I’m back again. Starting over after my time in the government, I can choose where I want to put my time and energy. The Forbeck Foundation does it right. It brings us as scientists back to basics in the realm of cancer, and I am committed to helping them continue to create those opportunities where scientists find themselves in magical new spaces–where we don’t only push the edges of our field, but we find new dimensions.
CHARLES H. JESSER, CPA • CHAIRMAN, BOARD OF DIRECTORS
It’s hard to believe it’s been 40 years since we lost Billy Guy Forbeck. In that time, we’ve transformed grief into purpose—creating a living legacy rooted in action, perseverance, and the pursuit of a cure. I’ll never forget shooting hoops in his Hilton Head yard—or the call that changed everything. That moment sparked more than sorrow; it inspired the Forbeck Foundation—a catalyst for real, lasting progress. In the early days, we ran on heart and hustle—volunteer-led, lean, and determined. Today, we’ve grown into a focused, full-time organization with the same commitment to efficiency and impact. In 2025, we will facilitate 13 Forbeck Forums and 2 Scholar Retreats—our most ambitious year yet. But growth brings new challenges: economic uncertainty,
greater competition for funding, and travel barriers for our global research network.
That’s why we’re asking for your continued support: » Make a gift today to help us invest in critical research
» Set up a recurring donation to provide steady, year-round momentum » Share our mission with someone who may be moved to give or get involved
Every gift brings us closer to the breakthroughs patients and families urgently need. Thank you for standing with us—then, now, and in the fight ahead.
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