LUNGevity Welcomes Eugene Manley, Jr, PhD, as Director of Community Engagement

Dr. Manley, Jr, brings years of experience focused on equitable access to health care

WASHINGTON, March 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- LUNGevity Foundation, the nation's leading lung cancer-focused nonprofit organization, announced today that Eugene Manley, Jr, PhD, has joined the organization as Director of Community Engagement. In his new role, Dr. Manley, Jr, will oversee the Minority Scholars Training Program, as well as several other key health equity initiatives such as the Health Equity in Action Speaker Series and the Annual Health Equity Roundtable.

LUNGevity awarded its first Health Equity and Inclusiveness research awards in 2021 to support underrepresented minority researchers interested in pursuing a career in lung cancer. Working with Executive Director of Research Upal Basu Roy, PhD, MPH, Dr. Manley, Jr, will develop training curricula and mentoring programs for the awardees.

Before joining LUNGevity, Dr. Manley, Jr, worked at the Lung Cancer Research Foundation (LCRF) as Director of Scientific Programs, where he oversaw the foundation's research grants. He created new funding opportunities during his tenure, including the Minority Career Development Award in Lung Cancer, developed educational and scientific content for the website and social media, acted as organizational liaison to the Lung Cancer Mutation Consortium, and advocated for health equity in lung cancer. Prior to LCRF, Dr. Manley, Jr, was the assistant director, corporate alliances, at American Association for Cancer Research Foundation (AACR).

Dr. Manley, Jr, has co-authored eight peer-reviewed publications on mechanical testing of tissues, gene therapy, angiogenesis, digital pathology, combination drug therapies, and patient advocacy. As part of his dedication to improving outcomes for Black patients in the lung cancer care continuum, he serves on two advisory boards (Project RADICAL and Public Health Clinic for Black Canadians) dedicated to raising awareness and access to care for minority populations. In addition, he has been featured on numerous panels and speaking engagements.

"Eugene comes to our organization with an incredible resume that highlights both his passion for lung cancer research and increasing representation in the research space, as well as ensuring equitable care for all people diagnosed with the disease," explained Andrea Ferris, president and CEO of LUNGevity. "We are delighted for the opportunity to add him to our team."

Dr. Manley, Jr, received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Technological University and his MS in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He obtained his PhD in Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry from Boston University.

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 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