A Message from TargetCancer Foundation President Kristen Palma:
When TCF was founded in 2009, we started around the kitchen table. It was Paul, myself and my brother Jim. Soon, many dear friends joined to advise us and assist us in a variety of ways — from legal support, website design, fundraising and awareness raising, and event planning. I have so many memories of laughter and ideas during meetings at our house while Paul was in the midst of treatments. It always lifted his spirits to get together with friends and to be doing something that he felt was so meaningful. Everyone worked pro bono and gave us incredible support, but after Paul died, it was really me and Jim moving the day to day work of the foundation forward. We continued this way until 2017 when we hired Samantha Sullivan, our first full time employee other than Jim. This was a major milestone for us and Samantha has become an integral part of TCF’s growth and success.
Now, we are so proud and excited to share that our TCF Team is growing again and to welcome Hetal Vig as Director of Research and Clinical Engagement. This is a critical position for TCF, and Hetal brings over 20 years of experience as a genetic counselor and leader in the field of cancer genetics. Before joining TCF, Hetal worked at Foundation Medicine as a Clinical Genomics Specialist. Her clinical experience spans many NCI-designated cancer centers including Memorial Sloan Kettering, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and Fox Chase Cancer Center. She has also held faculty positions at Boise State University, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Brandeis University.
As we reflect on 15 years of growth and progress, we could not be more excited to have Hetal join the TCF Team. This is a pivotal moment in our development as a foundation and we look forward to having Hetal’s knowledge and experience to help us lead the way in this next phase of our work for patients with rare cancers.