NORWALK, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) today announced that it has appointed Christina Waters, Ph.D., as Chief Development and Marketing Officer. In this newly created position, Dr. Waters will lead a team focused on the implementation and execution of the organization’s comprehensive development strategy. Dr. Waters will report directly to Kathy Giusti, MMRF and MMRC Founder and Chief Executive Officer.
Dr. Waters has 15 years of strategic leadership and management experience in both small biotech firms and large pharmaceutical companies focused on the discovery and development of new treatments for cancer and other diseases. Prior to joining the MMRF, her experience included positions such as President of Cell Therapeutics Europe, President of Systems Medicine, LLC, President and Chief Operating Officer of aTyr Pharma, and Director of Scientific Development at the Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation.
"Dr. Waters’ background as a scientist uniquely positions her to thoughtfully communicate the incredible clinical and scientific results the MMRF has achieved and the significant role our diverse investor base plays in the MMRF delivering on its mission,” said Giusti. “We welcome her exceptional insight and dynamic leadership as she works closely with me and the executive team to take the MMRF to the next level.”
Dr. Waters received her Ph.D. in Genetics from University of California, Davis, and completed her degree at Syntex as a NIH Biotechnology Fellow. She was a Postdoctoral Scholar and Associate at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in the Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology and an NIH Postdoctoral Fellow at University of California, Berkeley. She received a Bachelor of Science in Biology from San Diego State University and an MBA from University of California, Los Angeles.
"I have spent much of my career devoted to developing new ways to improve therapeutics for people with cancer and other diseases and am eager to be part of an organization like the MMRF that is so focused on the pursuit of novel personalized medicine approaches,” said Dr. Waters. “I look forward to working closely with the Foundation’s committed investors as well as bringing new ones on board to break new ground in this exciting research area and transform the way we treat and manage multiple myeloma.”
About Multiple Myeloma
Multiple myeloma is an incurable
blood cancer. The five-year relative survival rate for multiple myeloma
is approximately 34 percent, one of the lowest of all cancers. In 2012,
more than 21,000 adults in the United States will be diagnosed with
multiple myeloma and nearly 11,000 people are predicted to die from the
disease.
About the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF)
The
Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) was established in 1998 as a
501(c)(3) non-profit organization by twin sisters Karen Andrews and
Kathy Giusti, soon after Kathy's diagnosis with multiple myeloma. The
mission of the MMRF is to relentlessly pursue innovative means that
accelerate the development of next-generation multiple myeloma
treatments to extend the lives of patients and lead to a cure. As the
world's number-one private funder of multiple myeloma research, the MMRF
has raised over $200 million since its inception and directs 90% of
total budget to research and related programming. As a result, the MMRF
has been awarded Charity Navigator’s coveted four star rating for nine
consecutive years, the highest designation for outstanding fiscal
responsibility and exceptional efficiency. For more information about
the MMRF, please visit www.themmrf.org.