Photo, from L to R: Dani Pike, Leslie Adler, Alicia Jeffreys, and Megan Stewart
The pace of chordoma research achievements has been accelerating rapidly in the last several years, particularly since the launch of Chordoma Foundation Labs — a milestone that marked the beginning of our most pivotal era. With each new stride comes renewed gratitude for the team we’ve assembled, whose impressive skill set and boundless energy underlie our progress to date and all that’s to come.
As we take on a larger role in chordoma research and therapeutic development, build the infrastructure needed to streamline future clinical trials, and lay the groundwork to facilitate the first drug approvals for chordoma, we’re evolving our team to keep pace. New additions are bringing the additional strengths, sophistication, and capabilities needed to tackle the complex and exciting challenges ahead.
First, we’re excited to announce three full-time openings that will enable this next phase of our mission:
Head of Finance and Operations, a key member of our leadership team who will level up the business functions that underpin our work and facilitate our growth.
Head of Clinical Research, who will lead our efforts to accelerate clinical evaluation of emerging therapeutic concepts, deepen understanding of the natural history of the disease, and generate evidence needed to enable better, more personalized care.
Research Program Manager, who will help coordinate research in labs across the world by distributing resources from our various repositories, supporting our grants programs, facilitating research partnerships, and more.
All of these positions are remote and open to candidates anywhere in the US. We’d love to fill our pipeline with people who have a personal connection to this cause, so if our mission speaks to you or someone you know, we encourage applications via the above links. And we’ll soon begin recruiting for a Drug Discovery Research Associate. All of our openings can be found here.
These new roles will complement several recent additions to our staff and Board of Directors, each of whom brings invaluable expertise, perspective, and commitment:
Dani Pike (staff, chordoma survivor) has joined as our Development and Engagement Officer. She understands firsthand the importance of gaining agency over her own future, and is eager to help others affected by this disease participate in bringing about better treatments and outcomes. Reach out to Dani to learn more about how you can help improve the outlook for chordoma patients.
Leslie Adler, CPA (Board member, chordoma survivor) brings more than 40 years of accounting experience.
Alicia Jeffreys (Board member, chordoma survivor) is the Chief Marketing Officer for the NBA’s Detroit Pistons.
Megan Stewart (Board member, spouse of chordoma survivor) is a Board Certified Patient Advocate. Megan also recently became chair of our Community Advisory Board.
Our new inflection point is a testament to the dedication and longstanding service of several outgoing members of our team, each of whom provided many years of hard work, expertise, and support that ensured a sound basis for our sustainable growth:
Tammy Silverthorne, our former Director of Operations, was an anchor of the Foundation for 13 years, laying the groundwork for progress throughout every corner of our organization. She's helped us deftly navigate countless opportunities and challenges, and the impact she's made here and on the chordoma patient community is incalculable.
Ingemar Lanevi, our departing Board Treasurer, provided diligent oversight of our financial transactions and strategic financial planning, safeguarding our assets and putting in place a solid foundation for our financial future.
Julie Song, our outgoing Board secretary, was indispensable in ensuring compliance and upholding the integrity and functionality of our governance.
Each of them leaves big shoes to fill: our incoming Head of Finance and Operations will succeed Tammy, while current Board members Steven Mandel and John Therien have taken on the roles previously held by Ingemar and Julie. We’ll forever appreciate the indelible mark that Tammy, Ingemar, and Julie made on our organization, and we’re grateful to keep them close as advisors, supporters, and friends.
Our recent growth represents a significant boost in our ability to realize our vision, and we’re more optimistic than ever about what the future holds for everyone affected by chordoma.