(AUSTIN) Today, the governing body of the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) approved Kristen Doyle as the new CPRIT Chief Executive Officer beginning July 1. Ms. Doyle, currently Deputy Executive Officer and General Counsel, will succeed Wayne Roberts who will step down on June 30 after 12 years as chief executive.
“The Oversight Committee makes many important decisions,” said Roberts, “but perhaps none more important than who leads the talented CPRIT team. Kristen is the most qualified person to steer CPRIT through the next decade. She has vast institutional knowledge of the agency, the workings of the Capitol community, the life science ecosystem, and cancer research and prevention. With her passion for CPRIT’s mission I know she’s the right person at the right time.”
“I am honored by the confidence entrusted to me by the Oversight Committee,” said Doyle, “and I’m genuinely excited about the opportunity to lead CPRIT and our team into its next chapter of innovation and impact. CPRIT is making a real difference in the fight against cancer, and we’ve only just begun.”
A cancer survivor, Doyle has been with the agency since 2009 and has played a pivotal role in establishing the legal and regulatory foundations that ensure CPRIT maintains the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and fiduciary responsibility.
“Kristen will be an outstanding CEO for CPRIT,” said Dr. David Cummings, Oversight Committee presiding officer. “She will continue to build on the legacy of leadership, transparency and integrity established by Wayne over the last twelve years, and I am eager to see where she will lead this agency. Additionally, as a cancer survivor, Kristen has a unique perspective of not only the emotional impact of cancer, but the important role CPRIT plays as a beacon of hope for Texas cancer patients, survivors, and their families.”
Prior to joining CPRIT in 2009, Ms. Doyle was a partner at an Austin-based law firm practicing electric utility and natural gas law. She received a B.S. in Public Policy from Indiana University and her J.D. and M.S. in Technology Commercialization from The University of Texas at Austin. Ms. Doyle is the president of the board of directors for Wonders & Worries, a Texas-based non-profit, and previously served as vice chair of the board of directors for the Central Texas Chapter for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
ABOUT CPRIT
Created by the Texas Legislature and approved by a statewide vote in 2007, the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) leads the Lone Star State’s fight against cancer. In 2019, Texas voters again voted overwhelmingly to support CPRIT with an additional $3 billion, for a total $6 billion investment in cancer research and prevention.
To date, the agency has awarded more than $3 billion in grants to Texas research institutions and organizations through its academic research, prevention, and product development research programs. CPRIT has also recruited 306 distinguished researchers to Texas, supported the establishment, expansion, or relocation of 60+ early-stage biotech companies throughout the state, and provided 9.5 million prevention services reaching all 254 Texas counties.
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