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Last month AACI leadership was invited to Washington, DC, to learn more about new initiatives related to cancer research, screening, prevention, and care.

On Monday, October 24, AACI Executive Director Jennifer W. Pegher visited the White House for the announcement of the American Cancer Society’s (ACS) launch of the National Breast Cancer Roundtable and the National Roundtable on Cervical Cancer.

The event, hosted by First Lady Jill Biden, PhD, featured remarks from ACS CEO Karen E. Knudsen, MBA, PhD, and patient advocates, including sing-songwriter/actress Mary J. Blige. In line with the reignited Cancer Moonshot, the goal of these new roundtables is to spur collaboration and strategic partnerships among national organizations and experts to eliminate cancer disparities and reduce mortality.

The following day, Pegher attended an event at Howard University that included a discussion on the future of biomedical innovation between U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, JD, and Renee Wegrzyn, PhD, who was named director of the new Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) last month.

Secretary Beccera summarized the urgency of the Biden administration’s goals when he introduced Dr. Wegrzyn saying, “Welcome. Congratulations, now hurry up.”

During their conversation, Dr. Wegryzn answered questions about the types of research ARPA-H will tackle and the role of community program managers in implementing ARPA-H objectives. She also stated that ARPA-H can enhance the Cancer Moonshot by providing tools and a platform to reach its goals and set the stage for developments that “we haven’t even dreamed of,” citing the example of MRNA vaccines as a significant scientific achievement accelerated by research.