Mary Lasker and her Crusade as told by Judith L. Pearson
August 30, 2023
Hosted by Cecilia Zapata-Harms
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Guest Information
Episode Description
In her remarkable new book, Crusade to Heal America, Judith L. Pearson unveils the captivating story of Mary Lasker - a woman of wit, resolve, and determined ambition to eradicate all human suffering. Lasker didn't merely view disease as an enigma to be cracked, but as a force to be conquered. She and her husband Albert began by establishing the Lasker Foundation, responsible for presenting yearly awards in medical research, as well as restructuring the American Cancer Society and driving an uptick in donations. Yet Lasker desired even more, and as she probed why 40% of World War II volunteers had been medically rejected, a single question sparked the beginnings of a grand plan: why hadn't the government funded medical research? Proclaiming herself a “catalytic agent”, she ignited an unstoppable crusade for better health among the American public. ? As a result of her tenacity, the National Institute of Health has now blossomed into the world’s premier research centre, though this accomplishment did not come without its dissenters. Tragedy struck with the passing of her husband Albert due to cancer, but Lasker only used this to fuel her fire. Before long, President Richard Nixon found himself in a quandary over how to stop Senator Edward Kennedy from attaining the White House, and it was Lasker's initiative of a "moonshot against cancer" that he used to resolve the situation. Her endeavors eventually paid off, as she secured $1.3 billion in funding for cancer research ($9.6 billion in today's terms) and enabled the previously always fatal illness to become a survivable one. ? Weaving together threads of American history, social standing, and subtle politics, Crusade to Heal America celebrates the unsung efforts of an incredible “fairy god-mother of medical research” who dedicated herself to bettering the lives of us all.
Women, Life and Science
Wednesday at 7 AM Pacific on VoiceAmerica Empowerment Channel
We are women, living a full life, have a professional career in science or in some form or another have been involved in the industry. We have stories to tell and knowledge to impart. We overcame challenges, uncertainties and continue to navigate the ever evolving professional and personal balance. We share in kindness and we share openly. We are grateful for many things. We have little regrets but easily forgive ourselves for our missteps. Women, Life and Science is the open forum for dialogue, knowledge presentations and story-telling.
Cecilia Zapata-Harms
Cecilia has held leadership positions in strategy, joint venture startup and program administration. Her career spans more than 30+ years in life science/biotechnology and healthcare industry. Cecilia started her tenure as a strategic planning manager at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research in the early 1990s, as Program Administrator for the Molecular Pharmacology, Clinical Research Division held a Project Officer role for the National Cancer Institute. She has led the development of clinical research network and oversaw all operational functions for the program. Cecilia was also involved in many status biotechnology startups. In the summer of 2017, Cecilia returned to her life science and biotechnology roots as Chief Executive Officer for 3rdEyeBio, LLC. Cecilia has been known to say that she is like the Jill of all Trades. In my toolbox are a multitude of different sets of skills and expertise that can be applied to almost all industries. Passionate about global health access, innovative approaches to access novel treatments especially for our rural communities, military and developing countries. The joy for me in my work is to find an outside of the box solutions, connect the dots, and see innovators realize the vision, their road map accomplish them and are successful.
