Ep. 109: Lessons Learned: The Intersection of Cancer Research and COVID Treatments

Himisha BeltranMedical Oncologist, Dana-Farber Cancer InstituteFelix FengRadiation Oncologist and Vice Chair for Translational Research, UCSF Department of Radiation OncologyChristopher HaimanGenetic Epidemiologist and Professor of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of USCDeborah ScherExecutive Advisor to the Secretary, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)Jonathan SimonsPresident and CEO, Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) “The road to curing COVID runs right through lots and lots of cancer research.” – Jonathan Simons, President and CEO, Prostate Cancer FoundationThree top cancer researchers, the head of PCF, and a VA leader join Mike Milken to discuss how genomics, immunotherapies, and precision medicine are informing the quest for effective COVID vaccines and treatments. The best practices developed by oncologists in the past two decades are now the standard of care at VA facilities across the country. In discussing the 2016 PCF/VA partnership that established Centers of Excellence, Deborah Scher notes the role oncology continues to play in the pandemic. “We have really built a community of researchers who are bringing best-in-class precision oncology to veterans across the country and are using that platform not just for prostate cancer innovation, but today for COVID innovation as well.”