The International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) today announced that IMF
Co-Founder Dr. Brian G.M. Durie‘s last day as IMF Chief Scientific
Officer will be on July 8, 2024. Dr. Durie will continue to be a
member of the IMF Board of Directors.
In 1990, Dr. Durie, along with Brian Novis and Susie Novis
Durie, founded the International Myeloma Foundation (IMF)—a
non-profit that is dedicated to serving the global myeloma
community.
When the IMF was established, very little was known about
multiple myeloma and the IMF founders set out to educate patients
about the disease and the very limited available treatment options.
As the organization grew, the four founding pillars of research,
education, support, and advocacy became its foundation, for which
it still stands.
Due to Dr. Durie’s remarkable scientific and organizational
leadership for the previous 35 years, the IMF continues to thrive,
making advances in the field of myeloma, and dedicating to its
mission of improving the quality of life for myeloma patients while
working toward prevention and a cure.
“We deeply appreciate Dr. Durie’s invaluable contributions,
which have shaped the IMF and the myeloma community into what it is
today,” said IMF President & CEO and 28-year myeloma patient
Yelak Biru.
“Dr. Durie’s reputation for innovation in the field of
myeloma globally has allowed the IMF to develop in ways no one
could have imagined. The IMF was the first of its kind in many
arenas. That pioneering mindset contributed to groundbreaking
research and the development of invaluable patient support
services, offering a brighter future for those diagnosed with
multiple myeloma,” continued Mr. Biru.
On a personal note, Mr. Biru described how the IMF has made an
impact on his life as a 28-year myeloma patient: "The IMF has
empowered and continues to empower me in my 28-year myeloma
journey. The IMF has been instrumental in providing information,
connecting patients with a supportive community, and giving them
hope for a brighter future."
“I am incredibly grateful to Dr. Brian Durie for his major
contributions and tireless commitment to the myeloma field and the
IMF. This is a major transition point for us, and we will work hard
as a team to ensure that the organization continues to grow and
expand its reach in our quest to improve the lives of myeloma
patients around the world through research, education, support, and
advocacy. In this regard, I am glad that some of the best
researchers in the myeloma field will be assisting us as members of
the newly reconstituted Scientific Advisory Board,” said IMF
Chairperson of the Board Dr. S. Vincent Rajkumar.
Building on Dr. Durie’s more than three decades of hard work and
legacy, the IMF will embark on a new scientific chapter while
continuing with established IMF-funded research initiatives: the
International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG); the Black Swan Research
Initiative (BSRI); the iStopMM (Iceland Screens, Treats, or
Prevents Multiple Myeloma) Project; the Asian Myeloma Network
(AMN); the i2TEAMM’s research work on minimal residual disease
(MRD); the ASCENT and CESAR Cure Trials; and the IMF Immunotherapy
Registry, to name a few.
The IMF will keep innovating new opportunities to amplify
patient voices in research and to double down on global
collaboration.
The IMF continues its collaborative work with patients, renowned
researchers, industry partners, and other organizations in the
global fight against the second most common blood cancer in the
world.
To undertake this endeavor, the IMF has established a new
Scientific Advisory Board. The Scientific Advisory Board includes
an esteemed group of global myeloma experts (led by IMF Chairperson
of the Board Dr. S. Vincent Rajkumar), who will guide and
prioritize IMF research initiatives as well as identify areas for
investment and expansion.
Members of the newly established IMF Scientific Advisory
Board include IMF Chairperson Dr. Rajkumar (Mayo
Clinic—Rochester, MN), and IMF President & CEO and 28-year
myeloma patient Yelak Biru, MSc (IMF—Los Angeles, CA), as
well as the following world-renowned myeloma researchers:
- Wee Joo
Chng, MD (National University Cancer
Institute—Singapore); Professor and Director, National
University Cancer Institute; Group Director of Research, National
University Health System
- Vania Hungria, MD, PhD
(Santa Casa de São Paulo— São Paulo
Brazil); Associate Professor of Hematology and Oncology, Santa
Casa Medical School; Clinical Director, Clinica São Germano
- Sigurður
Yngvi Kristinsson, MD, PhD (University of
Iceland— Reykjavík, Iceland); Professor, University of
Iceland; Consultant, Landspitali University Hospital
- Shaji Kumar,
MD (Mayo Clinic—Rochester, MN, USA); Professor and
Research Chair, Division of Hematology, Department of Internal
Medicine, Mayo Clinic; Vice Chair, International Myeloma
Society
- Sagar
Lonial, MD, FACP (Winship Cancer Institute,
Emory University—Atlanta, GA, USA); Professor and Chair,
Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Emory University
School of Medicine; Chief Medical Officer, Winship Cancer
Institute, Emory University
- Thomas G.
Martin, MD (University of California, San Francisco, CA —
Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center—San Francisco, CA,
USA); Clinical Professor of Medicine, Adult Leukemia and Bone
Marrow Transplantation Program, UCSF; Associate Director, Myeloma
Program, UCSF; Co-Leader, Cancer immunology & Immunotherapy
Program, Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
-
María-Victoria Mateos, MD, PhD (University of
Salamanca—Salamanca, Spain); Head of Myeloma and Clinical
Trials Unit, Hematology Department; Professor of Medicine,
University of Salamanca; Coordinator, Spanish Myeloma Group (GEM);
IMWG Smoldering MM Committee Member
- Joseph
Mikhael, MD (TGen, City of Hope Cancer
Center—Phoenix, AZ, USA); IMF Chief Medical Officer; Professor,
Applied Cancer Research and Drug Discovery Division, Translational
Genomics Research Institute (TGen), City of Hope Cancer Center
- Philippe
Moreau, MD (University Hospital of Nantes—Nantes, France);
Head of the Hematology Department, University Hospital of Nantes;
Professor, Clinical Hematology; President, International Myeloma
Society; IMWG Scientific Committee Member
- Nikhil
Munshi, MD (Dana-Farber Cancer Institute—Boston, MA,
USA); Director of Basic and Correlative Science, Jerome Lipper
Multiple Myeloma Center; Director, Multiple Myeloma Immune Effector
Cell Therapy; Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Kraft
Family Chair; IMWG Scientific Committee Member
- Jesús San
Miguel, MD, PhD (University of
Navarra—Pamplona, Spain); Professor of
Medicine-Hematology and Head of Clinical and Translational
Medicine, University of Navarra; Medical Director and
Vice-Dean of Research, Clinica Universidad de Navarra; CIMA
Scientific Director; IMWG Scientific Committee Member
- Saad Z.
Usmani, MD, MBA, FACP, FASCO (Memorial Sloan Kettering
Cancer Center—New York, NY, USA); Myeloma Specialist and
Cellular Therapist; Chief, Myeloma Service, Memorial Sloan
Kettering Cancer Center
“This collective leadership model will expand our reach and lean
into our values of global collaboration and innovation. Engagement
with a diverse group of leaders will further advance our vision of
enabling every myeloma patient to live life to the fullest,
unburdened by disease,” said Mr. Biru.
By assembling a remarkable global dream team of renowned myeloma
experts in the newly established Scientific Advisory Board, the IMF
can leverage the Scientific Advisory Board’s collective knowledge
and experience, identify promising new areas of research,
collaborate on international research initiatives, and strengthen
the scientific rigor of ongoing projects.
The IMF will continue to be inspired by the remarkable legacy of
its founders—Dr. Brian G.M. Durie, Susie Novis Durie, and Brian D.
Novis— in realizing its mission of improving the quality of life of
myeloma patients while working toward prevention and a cure.
ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL MYELOMA FOUNDATION
Founded in 1990, the International Myeloma Foundation (IMF) is
the first and largest global foundation focusing specifically on
multiple myeloma. The Foundation's reach extends to more than
525,000 members in 140 countries worldwide. The IMF is dedicated to
improving the quality of life of myeloma patients while working
toward prevention and a cure by focusing on four key areas:
research, education, support, and advocacy. The IMF has conducted
more than 250 educational seminars worldwide, maintains a
world-renowned InfoLine, and in 2001, established the International
Myeloma Working Group (IMWG), a collaborative research initiative
focused on improving myeloma treatment options for patients. In
2012, the IMF launched the Black Swan Research Initiative®, a
groundbreaking research project aimed at curing myeloma. The IMF
can be reached at (800) 452-CURE (2873). The global website
is www.myeloma.org.
Follow the IMF
on:X: @IMFmyelomaInstagram: @imfmyelomaFacebook: @myelomaLinkedIn: International
Myeloma Foundation
Media Contacts:
Peter AntonPanton@myeloma.org
Jason LondonJlondon@myeloma.org