Research Advocacy Council News & Upcoming Events

SARC announces new and departing Research Advocacy Council (RAC) members, as well as the date of the RAC’s in-person Annual Meeting, structured this year to lead directly into the annual meeting of the Connective Tissue Oncology Society.

SARC is pleased to welcome Elsa Keeler MD, a retired pediatrician and survivor of dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma. Dr. Keeler brings a wealth of experience and compassion to the RAC from her years caring for children’s health, development, and well-being through both primary care and public health. Dr. Keeler has previously volunteered for Rein in Sarcoma, including chairing that foundation’s Education Committee and mentoring medical and nursing students.

Carolyn DeWalt, GIST survivor and RAC member, has decided to step away to take a position with cancer survivorship foundation Livestrong. SARC thanks Carolyn for her many contributions to the RAC and wishes her great success as she carries forward her passion for advocacy.

Supplementing the RAC’s semi-monthly remote meetings, the RAC Annual Meeting (in-person)is confirmed for November 11, 2025, in Boca Raton, Florida, USA. SARC scheduled this RAC meeting leading into the annual meeting of the Connective Tissue Oncology Society (CTOS) to enable more sarcoma patients and caregivers to interact with the approximately 1,200 sarcoma clinical and scientific experts expected to attend as well as participate in SARC’s Semiannual Meeting at CTOS the following day. SARC thanks Jeff Kramer of theChondrosarcoma Foundation (CSF) for generously contributing meeting space for the RAC (of which he is a member), immediately following the Chondrosarcoma Foundation Think Tank (https://csfshayna.org/thinktank/) that same day.