A New Patient Voice for Clinical Trials
05.15.18
PALTOWN CEO Erika Brown has been elected to the National Cancer Institute’s Colon and Rectal Cancer Task Force. The Task Force develops recommendations for priorities for publicly-funded clinical research, as part of the National Cancer Institute’s Gastrointestinal Steering Committee. The work of the Task Force and the Steering Committee provides critical input to the National Cancer Institute, the largest funder of cancer research in the world. Ms. Brown will bring a much-needed “patient voice” to the work of the Task Force as it sets priorities and evaluates concepts for the next generation of clinical trials for colorectal cancer. She is excited and honored by her selection to serve on this body.
Learn more about the National Cancer Institute’s role in cancer research in the U.S. and around the world.
Learn more about the Gastrointestinal Steering Committee and Colon and Rectal Cancer Task Force.
Erika Hanson Brown, Founding Mayor of COLONTOWN and CEO of the PALTOWN Development Foundation.
Are you a colorectal cancer patient or caregiver? Join COLONTOWN and find your people!
Co-Founder, PALTOWN, Founding Mayor, COLONTOWN
Ms. Brown, a Montana native, had a long and healthy career as a corporate executive search professional in the consumer packaged goods and telecommunications industries until – at age 58 – she was diagnosed with late-stage colorectal cancer. Once her treatment was completed, she refocused her professional energies on the undeveloped niche of disease-specific patient empowerment, founding COLONTOWN, the patient community. COLONTOWN features deeply engaged, experience-specific, secret support groups that are exclusively dedicated to colorectal cancer patients and family members.
In 2016, Brown co-founded the PALTOWN Development Foundation to create additional disease-focused communities for even more patients and families. COLONTOWN is the model for patient community building, providing the template and proof -of- concept for disease communities that will be developed.
Erika holds a B.A. in Liberal Arts (French) from the University of Montana.
Ms. Brown is grateful, empowered, and disease-free – 18 years later.