Sky Foundation, Inc. Adds New Members to Scientific Advisory Committee

Sky Foundation, Inc. had an exceptional year in 2015 which resulted in $400,000 in seed grants to new and existing research programs. As part of these seed grants, Howard Crawford, Ph.D. and Matthew HG Katz, M.D. are joining the Scientific Advisory Committee for Sky Foundation.

Howard Crawford, Ph.D. is a Professor in the Departments of Molecular & Integrative Physiology and Internal Medicine at the University of Michigan where he focuses on the links between chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer with an eye towards cancer prevention. He also acts as the Director of the Pancreas Research Program, charged with fostering collaborations among the many basic and clinical pancreas researchers at the University of Michigan. Crawford has published over 75 manuscripts in top tier cancer journals and serves on many national grant review committees.

Matthew HG Katz, M.D. is an associate professor in the department of Surgical Oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. His clinical and research interests focus on patients with pancreatic cancer. Katz has extensive experience in the design and conduct of clinical trials and is currently the national PI of an intergroup co-operative study of the effects of preoperative therapy on patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. He has published over 90 original articles that have described novel multi-modality treatment approaches for patients with this disease.

“It is predicted by the year 2020, pancreatic cancer will be SECOND in cancer deaths,” said Sheila Kasselman, pancreatic cancer survivor and founder of Sky Foundation, Inc. “With outstanding doctors, scientists and researchers such as Crawford and Katz, we are helping change that statistic, provide hope and save lives.”

Sky Foundation is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit organization that was founded in June 2008 by Kasselman. Sky Foundation’s governing and advisory boards are comprised of business, medical, and legal professionals who volunteer their time and dedicate their efforts toward raising funds for pancreatic cancer research and awareness.

For more information visit skyfoundationinc.org or contact Mary Klott, marketing director, at maryklott@skyfoundationinc.org or 248-385-5143. Sky Foundation is located at 33 Bloomfield Hills Parkway, Suite 275, in Bloomfield Hills.