Leadership

The William Guy Forbeck Research Foundation was launched with the help of dedicated people who cared for the Forbeck family and shared George and Jennifer’s vision.

Board of Directors

The Forbeck Foundation has been blessed to have some of the original founding Directors and their children still active as well as new volunteers.  Many individuals have volunteered their expertise and efforts to significantly benefit the foundation.  The Board is always seeking new energy and ideas.  Please contact a board member or admin@wgfrf.org to discuss opportunities to join the Forbeck Foundation.

The Board of Directors works with the Scientific Advisory Board to ensure WGFRF’s mission is being pursued effectively.  

The Board remains active throughout the year by meeting in-person during the Annual Forum as well as hosting conference calls throughout the year.
Charles H. Jesser, CPA

Deerfield, IL

President
Ronald Miller

Buffalo Grove, IL

Vice President
Maureen J. Wheeler

Elmwood Park, IL

Secretary
Matthew Gerdes

Chicago, IL

Treasurer
Jamie F. Collins

Carbondale, CO

Galen Eckland

Lake Zurich, IL

Aaron H. Jesser

Lincolnshire, IL

Patrick Joyce

Fontana, WI

William O. Kasten

Lake Forest, IL

Anne Lehman

Lake Geneva, WI

John O'Neill

Fontana, WI

Lauren Roadman

Denver, CO

Emeritus Members

Joseph W. Black, MD
David R. Barry Jr.
Hon. Sol Blatt Jr.*
James A. Buchanan
David Collins
Charles H. Drawdy
Edward R. Frick

Thomas A. Geldermann*
Jennifer K. Forbeck
William Herbkersman
Hon. Ernest F. Hollings*
Terence J. Irmen
T.L. Sam Irmen*
Ann Huber Kasten

Montague T. Laffitte
Joseph Laver, MD
Hayden Leason*
Michael Leason
Norine R. Smyth*
William Terlato
Nancy K. Wellard

* Deceased

Scientific Advisory Board

From the outset, the William Guy Forbeck Research Foundation recognized the importance of having professional advisors to guide research programs and activities. WGFRF therefore established early on a Scientific Advisory Board to advise the Board of Directors on the scientific activities of the Foundation, the first and enduring commitment being the selection of topics and attendees for the Forbeck Forum.

The WGFRF Scientific Advisory Board is a small rotating committee of individuals representing very senior and well respected physicians and scientists from the arenas of cancer biology and clinical care, drug development, and from broader areas of science that may help drive the mission of the Foundation.  The Scientific Advisory Board meets twice a year, at the time of the Annual Forum and mid-year.
John T. Kemshead, PhD, FRCPath

BioMagnetic Solutions

Somerset, United Kingdom

SAB Chairman
Kristina Cole, MD, PhD

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Philadelphia, PA

Vice Chairman
James Amatruda, MD, PhD

UT Southwestern Medical Center

Dallas, TX

Stephen Chanock, MD

National Cancer Institute

Bethesda, MD

Clark Chen, MD, PhD

Brown University

Providence, RI

Sara Courtneidge, PhD

Oregon Health & Sciences University

Portland, OR

Lucy A. Godley, MD, PhD

Northwestern University

Chicago, IL

Jan Karlseder, PhD

Salk Institute

La Jolla, CA

Edward Stites, MD, PhD

Yale School of Medicine

New Haven, CT

Alejandro Sweet-Cordero, MD

University of California San Francisco

San Francisco, CA

Kris C. Wood, PhD

Duke University

Durham, NC

Emeritus Members

Garret M. Brodeur, MD.
Webster K. Cavenee, PhD
Bruce A. Chabner, MD
Alan D’Andrea, MD
Isaiah Fidler, DVM, PhD
David E. Fisher, MD, PhD
Arnold Freeman, MD

Ed Harlow, PhD
Michael C. Jensen, MD
Michael B. Kastan, MD, PhD
Anthony Letai, MD, PhD
Katherine Matthay
John D. Minna, MD
Philip A. Pizzo, MD
W. Kimryn Rathmell, MD, PhD, MMHC
Jean Wang, PhD

“The Forbeck Foundation is the most efficient way to use
your dollars to generate impact in the fight against cancer”

Kris Cameron Wood, PhD, Duke, University

The Forbeck Scholar Review Committee

With an increase in the Forbeck Foundations programs, the Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) needs assistance with the work required to advance the Foundations mission.  The SAB has selected alumni Scholars to assist with the workload.  To launch this program, alumni scholars with a diverse and comprehensive set of interests were selected to help review the 2018 Forbeck Scholars applications.  As the Scholar Program grows so will the Review committee and its duties.

The Foundation is honored to have the support of its past Scholars and will continue to refine and elevate this program.  
James Amatruda, MD, PhD

UT Southwestern Medical Center

Dallas, TX

Stephen Chanock, MD

National Cancer Institute

Bethesda, MD

Clark Chen, MD, PhD

Brown University

Providence, RI

Kristina Cole, MD, PhD

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Philadelphia, PA

Sara Courtneidge, PhD

Oregon Health & Sciences University

Portland, OR

Lucy A. Godley, MD, PhD

Northwestern University

Chicago, IL

Jan Karlseder, PhD

Salk Institute

La Jolla, CA

John T. Kemshead, PhD, FRCPath

BioMagnetic Solutions

Somerset, United Kingdom

Edward Stites, MD, PhD

Yale School of Medicine

New Haven, CT

Alejandro Sweet-Cordero, MD

University of California San Francisco

San Francisco, CA

Kris C. Wood, PhD

Duke University

Durham, NC

The Forbeck Foundation has been blessed to have some of the original founding Directors and their children still active as well as new volunteers.  Many individuals have volunteered their expertise and efforts to significantly benefit the foundation.  The Board is always seeking new energy and ideas.  Please contact a board member or admin@wgfrf.org to discuss opportunities to join the Forbeck Foundation.

The Board of Directors works with the Scientific Advisory Board to ensure WGFRF’s mission is being pursued effectively.  

The Board remains active throughout the year by meeting in-person during the Annual Forum as well as hosting conference calls throughout the year.

The vision of the William Guy Forbeck Research Foundation is to see cures for all cancers, especially neuroblastoma and other childhood malignancies.

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