Climbing Kilamanjaro for Cancer Research

GeekWire Health Tech

Kristin Anderson has already fought cancer in more ways than one. She's a cancer survivor whose battle with breast cancer started when she was just 28 years old and pursuing a doctorate in immunology. And as a researcher at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, she's investigating ways to use our body's own immune system to attack solid tumors.

But Anderson has a new plan to fight the disease. She's climbing Mount Kilimanjaro as part of a fundraising effort that has raised $1.4 million and drawn 28 climbers, several of whom are biotech executives and investors.

The effort is led by Luke Timmerman, a veteran biotech journalist and founder of the Timmerman Report. Timmerman previously climbed Mount Everest in a similar effort and raised $340,000 in donations for Seattle’s Fred Hutch.

Timmerman picked Kilimanjaro with the idea that he could raise far more money with a group of climbers than he could on his own. That thesis bore out, and the group easily beat their $1 million goal. The money will go to supporting some of the most high risk, high reward research at Fred Hutch. To support Anderson and the other climbers, you can get all the details at Climb to Fight Cancer.

On the latest episode of the GeekWire Health Tech podcast, Anderson talks about how her own fight with breast cancer led her to pursue a career in cancer research — and her plan for conquering Mount Kilimanjaro.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.