Kathy Giusti

Who is Kathy Giusti?

Kathy Giusti is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation and the Multiple Myeloma Research Consortium. In 1995, following her diagnosis with multiple myeloma at the age of 37, Giusti discovered that there was no research at all going on to create drugs for MM. Together with her twin sister, she founded the MMRF to fund innovative myeloma research and drug discovery. Having raised more than $225 million to date, the MMRF is the world's number one funder of myeloma research. Its work has resulted in approval of four new drugs to treat the disease.

Giusti received her MBA in general management from Harvard Business School and graduated from the University of Vermont magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences. She began her career in 1980 with Merck & Co., and later joined the Gillette Company. In 1993, she joined G.D. Searle & Co., where she last served as Executive Director of Searle's worldwide arthritis franchise. She used her business background to run the MMRF like a business rather than a traditional medical charity; she employs full-time scientists to track MM research around the world and sets strict timelines and goals for researchers who receive foundation grants.