A message from our new Executive Director, Kelli Beyer Patel.
Dear The Happy Lungs Project Community,
Over the past several weeks, I’ve had the privilege of meeting so many members of this extraordinary community – patients, care partners, researchers, supporters, and partners. Thank you for the incredibly warm welcome. I am so happy to be here and deeply grateful for the openness, ideas, and experiences you’ve already shared with me.
I joined The Happy Lungs Project at an exciting moment in its evolution. We have an incredible foundation to build upon, and I’ve spent my first weeks listening, learning, and beginning a strategic planning process that will help shape our next three years.
At the heart of that work is a simple question: Where can The Happy Lungs Project make the greatest difference for people living with RET-positive cancer?
Together with our community, scientific advisors, and partners, we’re identifying the most impactful priorities and investments we can make to accelerate RET research, improve support for patients and families, and build the partnerships and infrastructure necessary to drive meaningful progress. There is a lot taking shape behind the scenes, and I’m excited to share more with you in the months ahead.
A few things I’m especially excited about:
- Advancing RET research in new ways. We’re thinking ambitiously about how HLP can help researchers collaborate, generate knowledge, and accelerate promising science toward better treatments for patients.
- Strengthening support for the RET community. We’re exploring opportunities to better support patients and families throughout their experience with RET-positive cancer and ensuring their voices help shape what comes next.
- Bringing the latest RET research directly to you. Please save the date for our RET Research Update on November 5 (register here), when leading RET experts will share important developments in research and treatment and answer questions from our community. Registration opens this week.
And this is only the beginning.
I’m incredibly grateful to step into this role at a time when there is so much opportunity ahead. Most importantly, I want HLP’s next chapter to be shaped not just for this community, but with you.
Thank you again for welcoming me. I can’t wait to show you what we’re building together.
With gratitude,
Kelli Beyer Patel
Executive Director
The Happy Lungs Project
