When I started the Hirshberg Foundation more than 26 years ago with the goal of eradicating this disease, I relied on the doctors at UCLA who had cared for my late husband Ronnie for guidance. Over the years, these doctors became instrumental in the battle against pancreatic cancer by elevating patient care, leading the research front, and increasing awareness in the medical community. Today, on National Doctors Day, I hope you will join me in celebrating the extraordinary impact they have all made on our loved ones and in the field of pancreatic cancer.
Dr. Howard A. Reber, Ronnie’s surgeon, was the first to steward the Hirshberg Foundation.Dr Vay Liang W. Go was by my side for more than two decades and was the visionary behind our Seed Grant Program. Long before Dr. O. Joe Hines became the Chair of the Department of Surgery at UCLA, he helmed the Hirshberg Translational Lab and was the first Director of the UCLA Agi Hirshberg Pancreatic Center for Pancreatic Diseases. The partnership and brilliance of these doctors led to significant strides forward in both research and patient care.
Today, we have the best and brightest doctors guiding our efforts. Our Scientific Advisory Board Chair, Miklos Sahin-Toth, MD, and the Director of the UCLA Agi Hirshberg Center for Pancreatic Diseases, Timonthy Donahue, MD, are the top leaders in pancreatic cancer. We have outstanding medical professionals serving on our Scientific Advisory Board, as physicians and caretakers to patients, and making groundbreaking discoveries in the lab. Their steadfast work is changing the trajectory of this disease and bringing us closer to a cure.
I am grateful for the expertise, commitment, and friendship of each doctor who helped the Hirshberg Foundation pioneer our path forward. If you would like to shine a light on a doctor who has supported our fight against pancreatic cancer, someone who has been your champion, or helped a loved one, I invite you to share your story.
With gratitude,
Agi Hirshberg
Founder
