Ysabel Duron is an award-winning journalist, patient advocate, cancer survivor and board member of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). 

Her list of achievements continues to grow, as President Biden has appointed Duron to National Cancer Advisory Board (NCAB), which plays an important role in setting the course for the national cancer research program. 

The National Cancer Advisory Board will complement the Cancer Moonshot, which President Biden reignited a year ago to invest in research and development that will help advance breakthroughs to prevent, detect and treat diseases like cancer. 

“As a Latina, and a long-time patient and community advocate, it humbles me to join this roster of stellar new appointees,” Duron said. “I look forward to the challenge of amplifying the voices of racial and ethnic communities and other vulnerable populations.” 

Duron came into the cancer space after her own bout with Hodgkins Lymphoma in 1999. She covered her own cancer battle using her reporting skills to raise awareness about the disease.  

Over time, she turned a spotlight on the many disparities—lack of access, income inequality, language barriers, among other social determinants on health—that has exacerbated the disproportionate burden of cancer in Latino communities. 

In 2017, Ms. Duron founded The Latino Cancer Institute (TLCI), a nationwide network dedicated to developing and sharing best practice programs to enhance the work of Latino community service agencies, to provide collaboration with the global cancer research community, and drive policy to solve the issues and burden of Latinx/Hispanic cancer. 

In addition to her new appointment to the NCAB and role as Board member at CIRM, Duron also serves on the Institutional Review Board for the NIH/All of Us Research program. She also recently joined the newly launched American Cancer Society National Breast Cancer Roundtable. 

Read the official White House press release here.