Brandon Leonard, MA, Joins LUNGevity as Director of Government Affairs

A health policy professional with an extensive background in government affairs, Brandon will be an exceptional advocate for people living with lung cancer

WASHINGTON, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- LUNGevity Foundation, the nation's leading lung cancer-focused nonprofit organization, welcomes Brandon Leonard, MA, as its Director of Government Affairs. With over a decade of health policy experience, Brandon will amplify the impact of LUNGevity's policy and advocacy efforts by identifying and analyzing the legislative proposals that directly affect patients with and at risk for lung cancer.

Before joining LUNGevity, Brandon served as Associate Director of Congressional Relations at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), where he led the organization's outreach to Congress and managed multiple legislative activities. Previously, Brandon served as Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at Men's Health Network, leading policy and advocacy activities for the organization. He has also held positions with the Foundation for Sustainable Development and the Office of the Governor of Virginia.

"We are excited to add Brandon to our Policy team," said Andrea Ferris, president and CEO of LUNGevity. "His experience advocating on behalf of patients with cancer and knowledge of how to navigate the legislative process make him a wonderful addition to LUNGevity."

Brandon received his BA in Foreign Affairs and Spanish from the University of Virginia before earning an MA in International Development Studies from George Washington University. He looks forward to using his experience in support of patients, families, and caregivers impacted by lung cancer.

About LUNGevity

LUNGevity Foundation is the nation's leading lung cancer organization focused on improving outcomes for people with lung cancer through research, policy initiatives, education, support, and engagement for patients, survivors, and caregivers. LUNGevity seeks to make an immediate impact on quality of life and survivorship for everyone touched by the disease—while promoting health equity by addressing disparities throughout the care continuum. LUNGevity works tirelessly to advance research into early detection and more effective treatments, provide information and educational tools to empower patients and their caregivers, promote impactful public policy initiatives, and amplify the patient voice through research and engagement. The organization provides an active community for patients and survivors—and those who help them live longer and better lives.

Comprehensive resources include a medically vetted and patient-centric website, a toll-free HELPLine for support, the International Lung Cancer Survivorship Conference, and an easy-to-use Clinical Trial Finder, among other tools. All of these programs are to achieve our vision—a world where no one dies of lung cancer. LUNGevity Foundation is proud to be a four-star Charity Navigator organization. Please visit www.LUNGevity.org to learn more.

About Lung Cancer in the US

• About 1 in 16 Americans will be diagnosed with lung cancer in their lifetime.
• More than 235,000 people in the US will be diagnosed with lung cancer this year.
• About 60%-65% of all new lung cancer diagnoses are among people who have never smoked or are former smokers.
• Lung cancer takes more lives than the next three leading cancers (colorectal, breast, and prostate) combined.
• Only 22% of all people diagnosed with lung cancer will survive 5 years or more, BUT if it's caught before it spreads, the chance of 5-year survival improves dramatically.

SOURCE LUNGevity Foundation