Kathy Giusti

Kathy Giusti is a business leader, healthcare professional, and author.^[1][2] She is a two-time cancer survivor having been diagnosed with multiple myeloma and breast cancer. Kathy Co-Founded the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (the MMRF)^[3] where she was CEO and president for nearly two decades. She also co-chaired the Harvard Business School (HBS) Kraft Precision Medicine Accelerator,^[4] which she helped found, and was a Senior Fellow at Harvard Business School.^[5]

Kathy Giusti
Kathy Giusti in 2021
Born	1958
Education	Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Alma mater	University of Vermont Harvard Business School
Occupations	Co-founder, Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) Co-chair, Harvard Business School (HBS) Kraft Precision Medicine Accelerator
Spouse	Paul Giusti
Children	2

Giusti has been named one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the world.^[6] and named one of Fortune's list of Worlds' 50 Greatest Leaders.^[7]

Career

Early career

Giusti held executive positions in consumer marketing with Gillette/Procter & Gamble^{[citation needed]} and in the pharmaceutical sector with Merck & Co. and G.D. Searle & Company (now Pfizer).^[5]

The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation

In 1998, with her identical twin sister Karen Andrews, Giusti founded the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (the MMRF). The MMRF’s mission is to accelerate a cure for multiple myeloma patients.^[3]

As founder and CEO, Giusti has led the MMRF in establishing the Multiple Myeloma Research Consortium (MMRC), the MMRF CoMMpass™ study,^[8] CureCloud,^[9] the Right Track,^[10] and the Myeloma Investment Fund.^[11]

Under Giusti the MMRF has raised more than $500 million to fund research, 15 drugs have been approved to treat multiple myeloma, and many clinical trials are underway.^[12] These efforts have accelerated the pace at which treatments are brought to patients and more than tripled patients' survival.^[1]

Harvard Business School (HBS)

Giusti joined the Harvard Business School faculty as Senior Fellow, Co-Chairing the HBS Kraft Precision Medicine Accelerator, a $20 million endowed program provided by Robert Kraft and the Kraft Family Foundation.^[4] The Kraft Accelerator created The Kraft Precision Medicine Accelerator Playbook for Cures.^[13]

Diagnosis

In 1996, Kathy Giusti was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, an incurable blood cancer. When diagnosed, Giusti was 37 years old and was given three years to live.^[14] In 2022, Giusti was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer as well.^[15]

Appointments

Giusti has been appointed to multiple positions and advisory boards, all with a focus on developing cures for cancer. These include:

• National Cancer Advisory Board (NCAB)^[8]
• National Institutes of Health All of US Research Program/Precision Medicine Initiative (PMI) Working Group^[16]
• Faster Cures Advisory Board Changemakers^[17]
• IMS Board^[18]
• EQRx Board^[19]

Recognition

Giusti has received numerous awards for her leadership:  

• Named one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the world
• Ranked #19 on Fortune's list of Worlds' 50 Greatest Leaders
• Recognized as 1 of 34 leaders changing healthcare by Fortune magazine^[20]
• Named an Open Science Champion of Change by the White House^[21]
• Presented the Harvard Business School Alumni Achievement Award^[22]
• Received the Leadership in Personalized Medicine Award by the Personalized Medicine Coalition.^[23]
• Presented the 2021 American Association for Cancer Research Distinguished Public Service Award^[24]
• Named the Healthcare Businesswomen's Association's Woman of the Year Award^[25]

Publications

Kathy has authored or co-authored multiple articles in business, consumer, and scientific publications:

• Reducing Racial Disparities in Cancer Treatment Demands Collective Action, Harvard Business Review^[26]
• Reducing Racial Disparities in Cancer Outcomes, Harvard Business Review^[27]
• Addressing Demographic Disparities in Clinical Trials, Harvard Business Review^[28]
• A New Playbook for Cure-Seeking Nonprofits, Journal of Precision Medicine^[29]
• How Nonprofit Foundations Can Sustainably Fund Disease Research, Harvard Business Review^[30]
• What It Takes to Lead a Disease Research Foundation, Harvard Business Review^[31]
• How Medical Nonprofits Set Winning Strategy, Harvard Business Review^[[32]
• One Obstacle to Curing Cancer: Patient Data Isn’t Shared, Harvard Business Review^[33]
• What Cancer Researchers Can Learn from Direct-to-Consumer Companies, Harvard Business Review^[34]
• Closing Knowledge Gaps to Optimize Patient Outcomes and Advance Precision Medicine, Cancer Journal^[35]
• Understanding Differences in Critical Decisions in the Multiple Myeloma Patient Journey in the Era of Precision Medicine, American Journal of Hematology/Oncology^[36]