Professor Gluck Attends Cancer Moonshot Summit

Professor Abbe Gluck ’00 attended The Cancer Moonshot Summit on Wednesday, June 29, 2016 in Washington D.C., on behalf of the Solomon Center for Health Law & Policy at Yale Law School. The Cancer Moonshot Summit, an initiative led by Vice President Joseph Biden, is aimed at creating action and fostering collaborations around the goals of the Cancer Moonshot.

The Summit is the first time that stakeholders representing all types of cancers have convened under one national charge. Attendees at summits across the nation included leaders representing the entire cancer community such as researchers, doctors, scientists, philanthropists, community oncologists, advocates, patients, and survivors. Read more about the Summit from the White House.

In January, President Obama signed a Presidential Memorandum establishing a first-of-its-kind federal task force to end cancer as we know it. The Task Force, chaired by Vice President Biden, is composed of leaders from every federal agency that has a part to play in addressing cancer. The administration also announced a new $1 billion initiative to jumpstart the Cancer Moonshot.

“The Moonshot cannot be achieved by one person, one organization, one discipline, or even one collective approach,” Vice President Biden said. “Solving the complexities of cancer will require the formation of new alliances to defy the bounds of innovation and accelerate the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and — ultimately — a cure. It’s going to require millions of Americans speaking up and contributing what they’re able. That’s what the Cancer Moonshot Summit is all about.”

Under the leadership of Professor Gluck, the Solomon Center is developing ideas to become a leading voice in cancer policy and the specific role that law has to play in the research and treatment of the disease.  She and the Center have numerous partnerships with colleagues at the medical school working on cancer issues, and last year, together with Yale New Haven Hospital, Yale Law students working with the Solomon Center founded New Haven’s first Palliative-Care Medical Legal Partnership, bringing law students to the bedside of cancer patients to address critical legal needs at the end of life.

“I was deeply honored to be invited to participate as an attendee at the Moonshot summit – it has been an extraordinary day,” said Professor Gluck.  “The Solomon Center is committed to using its talents to further the Moonshot's goals, including breaking down regulatory‎ barriers to effective research and treatment and addressing disparities across cancers, localities, and demographic groups."

The Solomon Center for Health Law and Policy at Yale Law School is the first of its kind to focus on intersection of law and the governance, business, and practice of health care in the United States. The Center brings together leading experts and practitioners from the public and private sectors to address cutting-edge questions of health law and policy, and to train the next generation of top health lawyers, industry leaders, policymakers, and academics.