Year-long stewardship series connecting ACS researchers and survivors kicked off March 22.
Discovering the Future is a year-long series of virtual conversations featuring an American Cancer Society funded researcher sharing breakthrough research and innovations with our audiences, along with the opportunity to hear directly from survivors who benefit from the research first-hand. Each featured event will help educate supporters on how donor dollars are funding life-saving research, steward top supporters across all programs, and provide inspiration for future support and fundraising efforts.
Just in time for Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, the first event in the series was held on Wednesday, March 22. ACS team members and volunteers can can view a replay at this link.
Featured guests
The March conversation featured ACS researcher, Dr. Caroline Um and rectal cancer survivor Bridgett Riley.
Dr. Caroline Um began working at ACS as a post-doctoral fellow investigating how foods and nutrients affect the risk of colorectal cancer. She moved on to become a Principal Scientist in Population Science, and her research has expanded to include other exposures and their relationship with early-onset colorectal cancer. Dr. Um also investigates the role of the gut and oral microbiome in colorectal cancer development and progression. She conducted pilot studies to test stool collection methods that informed future methods of stool collection and now leads the new CPS-3 Gut & Oral Microbiome Sub-Study. The goal of this sub study is to collect 10,000 paired stool and saliva samples from participants of the Cancer Prevention Study-3 cohort. She has a particular interest in identifying ways the gut and oral microbiomes can be modified to address the increasing incidence of colorectal cancer in younger populations and to develop interventions for racial/ethnic minorities who have higher rates of colorectal cancer.
Bridgett Riley is a female boxer, motion picture stuntwoman, and nearly four-year rectal cancer survivor. She is an IFBA Boxing World Champion and five-time Kickboxing World Champion with a 27-1 winning record. She has been a stunt double in Hollywood for over 25 years and has been in more than 100 films and TV shows.
