Featured Expert:
Catherine J. Wu, MD
Chief, Division of Transplant and Cellular Therapy
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Dr. Catherine Wu discusses the importance of philanthropy as a crucial driver of CLL research, which enables scientists to pursue innovative, high-risk projects that traditional funding sources may overlook. With federal funding becoming increasingly uncertain, Dr. Wu emphasizes the need for continued private donations to organizations such as the CLL Global Research Foundation, particularly for supporting young investigators who represent the future of CLL advancements.
Transcript
Dr. Catherine Wu:
Philanthropy for CLL research has always been important, and I can point to specific instances in my own work and my career where philanthropy was really a vote of confidence that allowed us to take on risky projects that no sort of federal funding agency would take a chance on. We had a gut feeling that this was the right direction to go, but we needed just a little bit of fuel to get us there.
In the current climate where federal funding is very uncertain, I think philanthropy plays a larger role than ever before. I think the population of investigators that I worry about the most are the young investigators who are really at the start of their careers and they’re our future stars. So how can we help them carry on our work, even in the face of this funding crisis?
I really want to express my gratitude to the CLL Global Research Foundation leadership for their vision, their tenacity, their spunkiness, and their efficiency. So they have really managed to create a vibrant organization that really brings together researchers from all over the world so that we can have meaningful exchanges and that we can continue to do good work going forward.
