In September 2019, I lost the greatest supervisor, mentor, and friend from pancreatic cancer: Professor Sir Chris Dobson. Under his world-class guidance, I’m studying a PhD in Chemistry at the University of Cambridge within the Centre for Misfolding Diseases. He was a brilliant scientist, wishing to focus all of his efforts toward a treatment for debilitating conditions like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Personally, I will always remember him for his exceptional generosity and caring attitude with everyone around him. This distinguishable trait made him excel as Master of St John's College since 2007, connecting and inspiring every student. As I prepare for this marathon, I keep re-reading his last email sent a week before he passed away where he encouraged me to continue taking on new and exciting projects.

Pancreatic cancer hits home as well. When I was 12 years old, I lost my grandmother Lorraine Geiser to pancreatic cancer: her yellow skin and eyes are still ingrained within my memory. I was extremely close to my grandmother who I viewed as indestructible, as she always kept physically active on her treadmill even at the age of 74. When she died, the entire family was shell-shocked by the speed that she was taken from us. My grandmother was the glue that held so much together, and her life was cut short by this horrible disease.

While I have never taken part in a full marathon, I wanted to focus my energy into a goal of running the London Marathon in memory of Lorraine and Chris. As a scientist, I appreciate the way funding impacts the progression of research, and I yearn to raise the funds to make an impact in the field of pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer is a tough one but we’re taking it on. It is tough to diagnose, tough to treat, tough to research, and tough to survive. For too long this disease has been sidelined. We want to make sure that everyone affected by it gets all the help they need. We are supporting those affected by the disease, investing in ground breaking research, lobbying for greater recognition of pancreatic cancer, and being a voice for everyone involved in the fight. Together we are taking on pancreatic cancer.

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Obituary for Professor Sir Chris Dobson: https://amp.theguardian.com/science/2019/sep/25/sir-christopher-dobson-obituary

Obituary for Mrs Lorraine Geiser: https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/nvdaily/obituary.aspx?n=lorraine-d-geiser&pid=101689546