Newswise — LA JOLLA, CA & JUPITER, CA – May 16, 2018 – Former film executive Sherry Lansing, who led Paramount and Fox motion picture studios, has been named to the Board of Directors at The Scripps Research Institute. Among her current priorities as an advocate and philanthropist is the acceleration of cancer research. She is a co-founder of the Stand Up To Cancer initiative, which funds and facilitates patient-focused, collaborative cancer research.

“We are honored to have Sherry join our Board,” says Peter Schultz, president and CEO of The Scripps Research Institute. “She brings leadership, focused energy and a passion for improving the lives of people affected by cancer. She recognizes the inroads we are making here and will be a great help in pursuing our mission of developing innovative medicines to improve human health.”

Lansing became the first woman to head a major film studio when she took on the role of president at 20th Century Fox in 1980. In 1992, she became chair and CEO of Paramount Pictures, guiding the company to enormous creative and financial success. During her nearly 30-year career, Lansing led the production, marketing and distribution of more than 200 films, including Academy Award winners Forrest GumpBraveheart, and Titanic.

After retiring from Paramount Pictures in 2005, she established the Sherry Lansing Foundation, dedicated to funding and raising awareness for cancer research, health, public education and encore career opportunities. She serves on the University of California Board of Regents and the Independent Citizens’ Oversight Committee of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, as well as on the boards of the Carter Center, the Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation, the Entertainment Industry Foundation, the W.M. Keck Foundation, and the Pacific Council on International Policy.

Lansing graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree from Northwestern University.

About The Scripps Research Institute

The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) is one of the world's largest independent, not-for-profit organizations focusing on research in the biomedical sciences. TSRI is internationally recognized for its contributions to science and health, including its role in laying the foundation for new treatments for cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, hemophilia, and other diseases. An institution that evolved from the Scripps Metabolic Clinic founded by philanthropist Ellen Browning Scripps in 1924, the institute now employs more than 2,500 people on its campuses in La Jolla, CA, and Jupiter, FL, where its renowned scientists—including two Nobel laureates and 18 members of the National Academies of Science, Engineering or Medicine—work toward their next discoveries. The institute's graduate program, which awards PhD degrees in biology and chemistry, ranks among the top ten of its kind in the nation. In October 2016, TSRI announced a strategic affiliation with the California Institute for Biomedical Research (Calibr), representing a renewed commitment to the discovery and development of new medicines to address unmet medical needs. For more information, see www.scripps.edu.

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