WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA), the leading private funder of melanoma research, today announced the appointment of Cindy Hensley McCain, a businesswoman and active philanthropist, and Elliott Sigal, MD, PhD, a former head of research for Bristol-Myers Squibb, to its Board of Directors. Both will join the Board effective November 4, 2013.
Mrs. McCain is a leading advocate for improving the lives of those less fortunate. Currently, she is a member of the Board of Trustees for HALO Trust, a non-profit organization dedicated to landmine removal and weapons destruction in war-torn countries, a Board Member of the Special Olympics Los Angeles 2015, and serves as co-chair of the Arizona Governor's task force on human trafficking. She is also a founding member of the Eastern Congo Initiative, which raises awareness of the travesties facing women and children in the Congo. Mrs. McCain is the chairman of her family’s business, Hensley & Company, one of the largest Anheuser-Busch distributors in the nation, and the wife of John McCain, senior U.S. Senator from Arizona.
Dr. Sigal is a former Executive Vice President and Director of Bristol-Myers Squibb. He served as Chief Scientific Officer and President of Research & Development from 2004 until 2013. Dr. Sigal spent 12 years as part of the Company’s senior management team, and has more than 25 years of combined experience in medicine, research and management. Dr. Sigal was instrumental in developing the Company’s strategy in biologics and a pipeline of novel immunotherapeutics for oncology and other areas. Under his leadership BMS brought 14 new therapies to market, including the immunotherapy drug ipilimumab (Yervoy) for metastatic melanoma. Dr. Sigal received his MD from the University of Chicago in 1981 and trained in Internal and Pulmonary Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Prior to medical school, he studied engineering at Purdue University, where he received a BS, MS, and PhD.
“We are thrilled to welcome two new outstanding Board Members,” said Debra Black, Chair and Co-Founder of MRA. “Cindy and Elliott each have vast experience and capabilities that will be of great value as we move the field forward during this exciting time for melanoma research.”
Melanoma is one of the fastest growing cancers in the U.S. and worldwide. Nearly 80,000 Americans will be diagnosed with the aggressive form of skin cancer in 2013. Recent scientific and clinical advances have provided new hope for patients, but much work remains to be done to develop more effective options for early detection, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.
About the Melanoma Research Alliance
MRA is a public charity formed in 2007 under the auspices of the Milken Institute, with the generous founding support of Debra and Leon Black. MRA is poised to build on recent momentum in the field, accelerating the pace of scientific discovery and translation in order to eliminate suffering and death due to melanoma. MRA’s ability to fund wide-ranging research in melanoma is amplified by unique multi-faceted collaborations and partnerships with individuals, private foundations and corporations. For the full list of current MRA Board members, please visit http://www.curemelanoma.org/about-mra/board-of-directors/.