Meet Shawn Drennan
Greetings!
Shawn Drennan joins the Board of Directors, as Treasurer, with over 20 years of experience in corporate Finance across several industries including BioPharma, Technology, and Manufacturing. Her most recent roles included Director, R&D Finance Planning and Analysis for Juno Therapeutics and the Head of Medical Finance for Bristol-Myers Squibb. She really enjoys using her experience and expertise to help others achieve their goals. She has recently left the corporate environment and has been eagerly searching for her next “right opportunity”.
Shawn also has a very personal background with Brain Cancer, having lost her husband of more than 27 years to Glioblastoma in March 2020. He fought for over 2 years and attempted all treatments that were made available to him over that time. “We left no stone unturned, and yet, as with so many others, were not able to defeat the disease.” She believes that the answer is to be found in the science, and only by getting trials out into the public, and getting patients connected to the trials, will we finally be able to make an advance against this disease. She hopes that one day, no one else will have to walk the path that far too many of us have already been down.
“I am so excited to have the opportunity to join the Board of Directors for the EndBrainCancer Initiative and help them move forward into the future. I feel that the time for me is perfect, the need matched my skill set and experience, and the mission of the organization is right in line with where I think I can make the most effective positive impact. With my history as a caregiver for my husband who passed from Glioblastoma, I hope I can not only bring the support as a seasoned Finance professional, but also the personal insight, empathy, and most importantly, the passion to really help the EndBrainCancer Initiative achieve the best for patients, families and others in the fight against Brain Cancer (and specifically GBM). It is our turn to win.”
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The establishment of the Chris Elliott Fund and now the EndBrainCancer Initiative has always been about the fact that offering brain cancer patients a Standard of Care treatment that is ineffective is not an option and the belief that our medical doctors/system can/should be providing better care as the norm by becoming patient focused, empowering the patient with treatment choices as well as looking at alternative treatment options outside of Standard of Care to fight this disease early on/at time of diagnosis as current Standard of Care is not creating the number of survivors that it should be. It has always been about providing HOPE to the patient and to research.
The EndBrainCancer Initiative is a 501 (c)3 IMPACT organization and movement effecting change related to the 3-day window that most brain tumor patients experience between an initial diagnosis of a primary brain tumor and between the time they have their initial surgery as well as future surgeries/resections for tumor removal. We noticed that in most cases, wherever the hospital/institution is that the patient enters, usually via the ER for their symptoms ad diagnosis of a primary brain tumor, is where they are then admitted into the hospital/institution and in most cases, is where they remain to have their surgery after being placed on steroids 3 days or 72 hours later regardless of whether they were being treated at a brain tumor center or with a top neurosurgeon or neuro-oncologist or not. The EndBrainCancer Initiative plans to change this practice through empowering the patient/caregiver/family within that 3-day window through direct outreach, awareness and education. Best Wishes, Shawn Drennan, MBA Treasurer, EndBrainCancer Initiative (formerly The Chris Elliott Fund)