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Executive Team
Chief Executive Officer
TJ Hodgkinson: Business Iincubation and investment specialist providing comprehensive business support to small and medium sized companies throughout North America and the United Kingdom. Mr. Hodgkinson delivers effective solutions and support to organizations seeking growth including: conceptual, developmental, seed, early stage, second/ third stage, turnaround, bridge, IPO and exits. An influential advocate of childhood cancer care and support he is committed to helping cancer sufferers and families come to terms and overcome the medical and practical challenges post diagnosis. A prominent champion of the healthy approach to illness he is passionate about supporting others through his expertise in navigating the commercial sector and as the parent of a cancer sufferer.
A Message from the Chief Executive Officer
It’s been a very busy year for the foundation and I am pleased to say that we have made significant progress as we move towards our goals of universal early detection and support for those tackling Wilms on a daily basis.
Chief amongst our successes was our ability to turn up the volume on the global discussion that is Wilms. I was fortunate enough to be invited to speak the 11th annual conference of Renal Paediatric Oncology Biologists in Marseille, France. The event is attended by the world’s top paediatric renal specialists from the world of Science and medicine.
It was truly an honour for both myself and the foundation and after my presentation I was asked to participate in an expert panel in order to provide insight into the priorities of treatment delivery in the eyes of patients and parents.
In addition, the foundation also attended the 50th congress of the International Society of Paediatric Oncologist in Barcelona, Spain and I’m delighted to say that the foundation received a warm welcome from all those in attendance.
The year ahead holds many possibilities and we look forward to sharing these with you as we implement, innovate and deliver support services and programs internationally.
TJ Hodgkinson
Chief Executive Officer (and Dream-Maker)
for and on behalf of
The Wilms Cancer Foundation
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Communications Officer
Jennifer Foley: An international branding and soical media specialist Ms. Foley's experience spans all social media and terrestral platforms. She is recognised internatioally as a leading strategist in market direction and deployment of emerging communications technologies. She works closely with a number of Fortune 100 organizations in North and Latin America, Europe and Asia as well as new econiomies. Her key areas of responsibility include working closely with clinical, research and operational leadership around the world in order to create, manage and guide strategic philanthropic partnerships internationally (including low to middle income countires.).
Advisory Board
Professor Kathy Pritchard-Jones
United Kingdom & Europe
Professor Kathy Pritchard-Jones is Professor of Paediatric Oncology at University College London (UCL) Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK and past President of International Society of Pediatric Oncology (SIOP) 2021-2022, is an internationally recognised expert in childhood kidney cancers and is preminant in the area of Wilms and Wilms research.with a particular emphasis on Wilms, where she has extensive experience of running multi-centre and international clinical trials and translational research. She also works with epidemiologists and healthcare data scientists for international benchmarking and outcomes research. She has a track record of enabling partnership working to deliver quality improvement in complex care and to accelerate research across both adult and childhood cancer services. Throughout her career she has been an active member of the work of the national Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group (CCLG), the International Society of Paediatric Oncology (SIOP) and SIOP Europe. She has published over 250 articles in the field of childhood cancer.
Professor Guillermo L Chantada
Central & South America
Professor Guillermo L Chantada, MD, PhD Is the current President of the International Society of Paediatric Oncologists 2023-2025. He is an associate member of the Oncology Service of the Hospital Saint Joan de Deu, Barcelona Spain, the Principal Researcher of the National Council of Research in Argentina (CONICET) and the Scientific Director at the Pediatric Hemato-Oncology Service of the Hospital Universitario Austral, Argentina and at the Hemato-oncology service of the Hospital Pereira Rossell in Montevideo, Uruguay. His major contributions are in the area of translational research in retinoblastoma where he worked in the identification of innovative treatments, the characteristics of this tumor in developing countries and in depicting its mechanisms of molecular dissemination. He leads the Latin American treatment protocol at the Grupo de America Latina de Oncologia Pediatrica (GALOP) where he is a member of the Board. He serves as Coordinator of the European Retinoblastoma Group (EURbG). He leads the development of an anti-idiotype vaccine for neuroblastoma in a Latin American protocol. Other areas of interest include pediatric lymphomas and histiocytosis. He is a member of the St. Jude Global Pediatric Medicine Department where he is Editor-in-Chief of Oncopedia at the Cure4Kids portal. He is a member of the board at the Latin American Society of Pediatric Oncology (SLAOP).
Professor Paul Grundy
North America
Angela Polanco
International
Angela Polanco PhD, NIHR MRes and NIHR Advanced Leadership Alumni, is the National Head of Public Engagement and Involvement for the NIHR CRN CC in the United Kingdom. The NIHR is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research. Ms. Polenco is also the Senior Consumer Representative for NIHR Children’s Group. Polenco is an adept public involvement and engagement lead and the former founder and CEO of Bethany's Wish the UK based children's charity which advocated for those diagnosed with Nephroblastoma. She is a leading expert in developing and delivering PPI strategies for large organisations and was the lead for European PPI Childhood Cancer strategy project. She has authored a number of seminal international research papers and patient and public involvement and is regualrly chosen as the key PPI expert for international research funding panels and grant award committees. She has extensive experience in assessing quality, impact, feasibility and conducting peer review of scientific applications.
Founder, Creative & Dream-Maker
William Hodgkinson: Pioneering cancer survivor, visionary and entrepreneur. William Hodgkinson was himself diagnosed with 'Wilms' in early 2018. William spent a year in treatment, underwent multiple operations (including kidney removal) and protracted chemo & radiation therapy. He beat the odds only to suffer a relapse 1 year later with the emergence of 2 new tumors in his lungs. Following another year in treatment including lung surgery and ICE chemotherapy he suffered yet another relapse within months. With no treatment options left William underwent surgery to remove part of his lung and an autologous stem cell transplant to strip out and re-grow his bone marrow in the hope of beating the disease. Since then he has made it his mission to raise awareness of Wilms and support fellow suffers.
Digital Content & Videographer
Nik Koalski: A graduate from the Creative Communications program at Red River College in 2020. Mr. Kowalski has acted as principal digital content videographer for the major sports franchise BC Lions of the Canadian Football League, as well as acted as freelance writer for Sports Interaction. his shooting, editing and production skills as considered to be pre-eminent in his feild and he is recognized as a leading specialist.