The AAADV Workshop Foundation

A 501(c)(3) public charity advancing the science, methodology, and regulatory framework of cancer drug development.

Our mission is to accelerate the development of safe, effective, and globally accessible cancer therapeutics. We do this by convening the clinical investigators, regulators, industry leaders, biostatisticians, and patient advocates whose collective work determines whether new anticancer agents succeed — and by sharing that knowledge with the next generation of investigators worldwide.

Two decades of collaboration

Since 2004, the AAADV Workshop has been a forum where clinical and translational investigators developing anticancer agents interact with experts in trial design, trial execution, and regulatory science to examine the safety and efficacy of new therapies — with the patients who participate in clinical development at the center of the conversation.

The annual in-person workshop has been jointly sponsored over the years by Duke University, the U.S. National Cancer Institute, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the American Association for Cancer Research, ASCO, and Susan G. Komen, with cumulative attendance in the thousands. After resuming as a virtual meeting in 2022, the workshop has refocused on global cancer drug development, with regular participation from the FDA, the European Medicines Agency, the Japan Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Agency, and the China National Medical Products Administration, among others.

A new chapter: the AAADV Workshop Foundation

In 2025, current and former leaders of the AAADV Workshop convened in a think-tank format to set strategic priorities for the next decade. The result was the AAADV Workshop Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public charity created to:

  • Broaden access to the annual workshop through unrestricted educational grants and expanded virtual participation;
  • Sustain patient-advocate scholarships that cover registration, travel, and accommodations for the Pre-Workshop for Patient Advocates;
  • Deliver year-round educational activities in collaboration with the Triangle Center of Excellence in Regulatory Science and Innovation, sponsored by the FDA;
  • Catalyze training and policy adoption that accelerates therapeutic development for uncommon and rare conditions, especially those affecting children;
  • Build a global investigator workforce expert in trial design, trial conduct, analysis, and regulatory science.

AAADV Workshop Foundation Board of Directors

Kim Lyerly, MD

Renzo Canetta, MD

Richard L. Schilsky, MD

Thomas Fleming, PhD

Scott Evans, PhD

Peter Marks, MD, PhD

Susan Galbraith, MB, BChir, PhD

Eric H. Rubin, MD

Support the Foundation

The AAADV Workshop Foundation welcomes unrestricted educational grants, sponsorships, and individual contributions in support of our mission. Contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law.

To learn more about sponsorship opportunities or to make a contribution, contact us at AAADV.org/contact-us.