Don Listwin, Founder, Chairman

25-year veteran of the technology industry - he was CEO of Sana Security, Openwave and had been the #2 executive at Cisco Systems - Listwin walked away from his high profile technology career and launched Canary Foundation in 2004 in order to dramatically accelerate early detection research activities.

Listwin's motivation is his family, which has been deeply affected by cancer. Listwin's father is a colon cancer survivor, and his mother died of ovarian cancer. He has thus far pledged over $22 million for early cancer detection research.

Listwin serves on the Board of Directors of Genologics Life Sciences Software, PLoS, Calix, Stratos Biosciences and the Listwin Family Foundation. He is on the External Advisory Board for the Center for Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence (CCNE) at Stanford, the Stanford Advisory Board for Canary Center at Stanford and a member of the Board of Trustees at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Most recently, Don Listwin has been elected to the National Cancer Institute's Board of Scientific Advisors (BSA).

A native of Canada, Listwin holds a B.S. in electrical engineering and an honorary doctorate of law from the University of Saskatchewan.

Scientific Program Management

Heidi Auman, Ph.D., Scientific Program Manager

Prior to joining the Canary Foundation, Heidi was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at New York University School of Medicine's Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine in New York City. In the lab of Dr. Deborah Yelon, her research focused on studying the genetics and cell biology of cardiovascular development and disease. During her doctoral studies, she was awarded a Christine Mirzayan Science and Technology Policy Fellowship at the National Academies in Washington, DC. There she worked on issues at the intersection of policymakers, scientists, and the public with the Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy. She earned her Ph.D., M.S., and M.Phil. in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology at Yale University.

Simone Marticke, Ph.D., Scientific Program Manager

Dr. Simone Marticke is a native of Saxony, Germany, where she resided until completing her Abitur. She obtained her B.S. in biological sciences with a research focus in neuroscience from Stanford University. Dr. Marticke remained at Stanford University to pursue a Ph.D. in genetics. Her research in the lab of Dr. Richard M. Myers was aimed at understanding the molecular behavior of a transcription factor important for human speech and language. She applied ultra-high throughput sequencing methods to identify binding sites for this transcription factor in the human genome. Upon completing her doctoral dissertation, Dr. Marticke joined the Canary Foundation.

Sarah Hawley, M.S., Data Analyst

Sarah joined the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in 2002, as a Statistical Research Associate, where she provided data analytic support for prostate cancer research. Her areas of expertise include the analysis of gene expression microarrays and tissue microarrays as well as custom statistical programming in the R language. She became a Canary Foundation team member in April, 2007, where she now serves as a Data Analyst and Coordinator. Sarah holds a B.A. in Mathematics from Carleton College and an M.S. in Statistics from Colorado State University.

Development

Pat McCowan, Director, Seattle Office

Pat has more than twenty years of nonprofit management and fund raising experience. Most recently she served as Director of Key Initiatives for Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, where she raised $25 million in private contributions and managed a $100 million fund raising campaign. Her extensive experience includes management positions in both small and large nonprofit organizations.

Pat has led strategic planning, board development, fundraising and grantmaking programs, and she also has been a consultant for a variety of notable organizations.

Therese Quinlan, CFRE, Development Director
Canary Center at Stanford
Individual Giving, Family Foundations

Therese works closely with individuals and families to develop an appropriate plan to carry out dreams of changing lives through cancer early detection. Together they build a plan that is focused on bringing about innovations, advancements and breakthroughs in science that will lead to patient care. She creates ways to measure effectiveness of programs to suit their wishes and requirements. The result is a tailored plan that fits the budget, schedule and wishes of the individual or family who contributes using personal or foundation giving.

Joining professional ranks of philanthropy in 1990, she has held positions such as one at San Francisco's prestigious Grace Cathedral and at the Alzheimer's Association's Northern California Chapter and national office. While there she lead the chapter's first-ever major gifts program that raised 4.5 million dollars in the first 19 months helping peers give jointly to research projects and increasing the impact of gifts exponentially. She has presented at development conferences, written articles and organized successful staff, board and community fundraising teams.

Therese has been a certified fundraising executive (CFRE) since 2002, serves on the board of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Golden Gate Chapter and is the Vice President of Education.

Patricia Adams, Office Manager

Native to California, Patricia received her Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design and began her career in publishing. After ten successful years in production management, publishing and advertising, Patricia entered the nonprofit field to find a more rewarding outlet for her skills. Being an active volunteer herself, she began her second career as Coordinator of Volunteer Services at The Tech Museum in San Jose, Wildlife Rescue, and most recently at KTEH - Silicon Valley Public Television.

Patricia is an active member of the South Bay community, with long term commitments to Hospice of the Valley, San Jose Public Libraries, and seasonal events such as Christmas in the Park and the San Jose Jazz Festival.