2010 Life Sciences Technology Stream Keynote Speaker
Don Listwin
ChairmanCanary Foundation
Don Listwin is founder and chairman of Canary Foundation, the nation's only
non-profit organization devoted exclusively to early detection of cancer, when
it is most treatable and chances for full recovery are greatest.
A 25-year veteran of the technology industry - he was CEO of Sana Security,
Openwave and had been the #2 executive at Cisco Systems - Listwin launched
Canary Foundation as a way to address the imbalance in cancer research. Less
than 15 percent of research funding goes to early detection, even though early
detection and intervention are far more effective than late stage treatment.
Listwin's motivation is his family, which has been deeply affected by
cancer. Listwin's father is a colon cancer survivor, and his mother died of
ovarian cancer. Her death prompted Listwin to become personally involved in
finding a cure -- pledging millions of dollars to early detection research at
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Stanford Medical School,
UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and other leading cancer
institutions. Additionally in 2004, Listwin decided to dedicate his efforts
full time and launched Canary Foundation in order to dramatically accelerate
early detection research activities.
Listwin's personal overall financial commitments to cancer research have
surpassed $22 million. Canary Foundation has assembled teams of cancer
researchers recognized by their peers as leaders in their disciplines from
across multiple institutions to attack the problem of early detection in a new,
collaborative, action-oriented manner with the foremost objective of
translating research into clinical applications.
Canary hopes that by delivering on the first effective test for early
detection of cancer it will spur a dramatic increase of funds into the early
detection field from the National Cancer Institute and the venture capital
community so that products based on this research will arrive faster and save
millions of lives per year. One day screening for cancer will become as
universal as tests for cholesterol, and most cancers will be detected early and
eliminated.
Listwin serves on the Board of Directors of GenoLogics Life Sciences
Software, Public Library of Science, Calix, Stratos Biosciences and the Listwin
Family Foundation. He is on the External Advisory Board for the Center for
Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence (CCNE) at Stanford, the Stanford Advisory
Board for Early Neoplasia Detection (END) Center and a member of the Board of
Trustees at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. A native of Canada,
Listwin holds a B.S. in electrical engineering and an honorary doctorate of law
from the University of Saskatchewan.