Elizabeth Thompson
Vice President, Health Sciences, Susan G. Komen for the Cure

As vice president, health sciences for Susan G. Komen for the Cure®, Elizabeth “Liz” Thompson is responsible for leading Komen’s extensive health sciences team and engaging Komen in areas such as grants, community health programs, scientific advisory, public policy, advocacy and education.

Thompson works closely with Komen’s chief scientific advisor, Dr. Eric Winer, and the organization’s Scientific Advisory Board. She also participates with external committees, boards or review panels and represents Komen’s mission, position and perspective.

A well-known expert in the cancer health arena, Thompson joined Komen in 2008 as managing director, public and medical affairs. She has overseen the organization's strategic relationships with large associations as well as pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. She has excelled in initiating, developing and managing programs to drive innovation in breast cancer research while maximizing Komen for the Cure’s promise to save lives and end breast cancer forever by empowering people, ensuring quality care for all and energizing science to find the cures.

Her management responsibilities for Komen’s education portfolio have involved direct patient education and specific initiatives that impact patient care, access and outcomes, such as clinical trials, regulatory controls, FDA issue management and interfacing with the National Cancer Institute.

Thompson’s interest in health and medicine began with what she calls her "first life" in medical publishing, traveling the world learning and working firsthand with top medical experts to produce educational materials (books, journals, CDs) about the trends, techniques and therapies that could and would make a difference for patients. Wanting to make more of a direct impact on patients and families, Thompson put her considerable management and marketing experience to work in the cancer advocacy arena. Her focus has been on leading and directing advocacy efforts to advance a deeper direct investment in cancer research, mobilizing grassroots lobbying and working to harness the power of thought leaders and coalitions to achieve breakthroughs in cancer research.

Thompson has a Bachelor of Science from the University of South Dakota where she was in the Tom Brokaw School of Communications