We are delighted to welcome Karen Knudsen, MBA, PhD to our upcoming Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center Grand Rounds presentation. Please join us in person or via Zoom for this exceptional educational opportunity.

Dr. Knudsen is the CEO for the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunology, and a Professor (Emerita), Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Jefferson Health and Thomas Jefferson University.

Presentation Title:

"Rewiring the system: new models to accelerate cancer cures"

Presentation Highlights:

• Current state of immunotherapy
• Coming technologies that will revolutionize cancer care
• Novel models to accelerate discoveries into patient testing 

More about Dr. Knudsen:

Dr. Knudsen is CEO and Board Member of the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy (PICI), an entrepreneurial medical research organization advancing the next generation of immune-based therapies. Under her leadership, PICI accelerates discovery, clinical translation, and company formation, launching 17 biotech ventures that have raised over $4B to accelerate cancer cures.

She also serves on the Boards of AstraZeneca, Paradigm Health, ExaiBio, and Research!America, and advises leading organizations including Transcarent, ArteraAI, Genentech, and multiple NCI-designated cancer centers. She is co-founder of Patient Agent, an AI-driven venture supporting patients and care teams in making faster, more personalized decisions.

Previously, Dr. Knudsen served as CEO of the American Cancer Society and ACS CAN, where she unified operations, expanded mission reach, increased revenue, and drove record-breaking investments in research and patient services. Prior to ACS, she was Executive Vice President of Oncology Services for Jefferson Health, directing one of the nation’s largest cancer care enterprises across a 16-hospital system and an extensive outpatient network. She simultaneously served as Executive Director of the NCI designated Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, where she advanced translational research, clinical trial access, and national partnerships that broadened Jefferson’s role as a leader in oncology innovation.

Her work has been recognized by Forbes, CNBC, and major scientific associations, and she is a member of the CNBC CEO Council, Wall Street Journal CEO Council, and Milken Institute Executive Circle.

Tuesday, March 31 from 12:00 - 1:00 pm

Durham Research Center Ground Floor Conference Room 1002

Zoom:

https://unmc.zoom.us/j/96545458538?pwd=0Ntx6NoXTF1YRG0LNfw1qrk8KI5xEa.1

Meeting ID: 965 4545 8538
Passcode: 675126