NEWS
Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts to Join The V Foundation’s Board of Directors

May 22, 2012

The V Foundation for Cancer Research, one of the nation’s leading cancer research foundations, is excited to announce that Robin Roberts has been named as the newest member of its Board of Directors. Roberts, a cancer survivor herself, has been co-anchor of ABC’s “Good Morning America” since 2005.

“From standing in the wings following Jim and his inspirational ESPY speech to observing the great work of The Foundation, I am truly honored to serve on the Board,” said Roberts.

Roberts, a graduate of Southeastern Louisiana University, has been a broadcast journalist since 1983. She spent time at local news affiliates throughout the Southeast prior to beginning a fifteen year career with ESPN as a contributor between 1990 and 2005. Subsequently, Roberts took her post at “Good Morning America.” Since joining the show as co-anchor, the broadcast has been awarded three consecutive Emmy Awards for Outstanding Morning Program. In June of 2007, Roberts was diagnosed with breast cancer. She faced her diagnosis with courage and her ensuing battle has been recognized with honors and awards by various organizations throughout the country.

“From our inception, Robin has been a friend and supporter of The V Foundation,” said Nick Valvano, CEO of The V Foundation. “We are thrilled that Jim’s former colleague at ESPN has agreed to join our Board of Directors as we work to defeat this horrible disease.”

The Board of Directors for The V Foundation for Cancer Research was originally established in 1993. The Board is made up of business leaders, award-winning athletes and coaches, distinguished physicians and world-renowned entertainers. Their purpose is to provide governance to insure the sustainability and long-term effectiveness of The V Foundation while upholding its core principles.

W. Martin Kast, Ph.D.

 In 2003, Dr. W. Martin Kast, professor at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, was awarded a Translational Grant to explore a new approach for dendritic cell-based cancer immunotherapy for cervical cancer. In the past eight years, Kast and his team have been focusing on the behavior of the human papilloma virus (HPV), which causes cervical cancer.

Dr. Kast leveraged his 2003 Translational Grant to procure major subsequent funding through two grants from the NIH totaling $2.6 million.  Highly accomplished, Dr. Kast has published more than 250 articles and holds 18 patents.  Most recently, he was named the 2010 Eminent Scientist of the Year by the International Research Promotion Council and 2010 North American Immunologist by the World Scientists Forum.

The V Foundation’s grant has led to major discoveries for Kast’s team, including the identification of the uptake receptor for HPV and an escape-route of HPV from the immune system. Kast explained that the mechanism of immune escape for the virus is the “Achilles’ heel of the virus” and this is now the focal point of his research.  Kast is currently developing a therapeutic vaccine for HPV-induced cervical cancer and is leading the world in research for a cream that can be used for HPV infections.

The V Foundation grant has not only helped Kast generate more funding from the National Institute of Health, but has also allowed him to train his graduate students and post-doctoral fellows, who are currently multiplying his research efforts in their own laboratories.

Kast is passionate about the need for funding in cancer research and is incredibly supportive of The V Foundation.

“Everyone in this life will either be confronted directly or indirectly by cancer,” Kast said. “The direct correlation between funding levels and medical research discoveries really indicates that the more funding you put into [research], the more lives you save. You can hardly imagine how important your contributions are for making cancer a disease of the past.”

Kast is a professor of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, Obstetrics & Gynecology and Urology. This is his eighth year at the Keck School of Medicine of USC.

“You can hardly imagine how important your contributions are for making cancer a disease of the past.”

To donate, please visit jimmyv.org/holiday or call 1-800-4JIMMYV