Hoosier Cancer Research Network chairman Christopher A. Fausel, PharmD, is once again combining his passion for investigator-initiated research with his annual participation in the Arnold Sports Festival Pump & Run 5K in Columbus, Ohio.

Fausel has participated in the annual strength and endurance event for several years, and is inviting pledges in support of Hoosier Cancer Research Network (HCRN) for every bench press “rep” he completes (maximum of 30) during the event on Sunday, March 6.

Donations received will directly support investigator-initiated research, which is central to HCRN’s vision and mission.

Here’s how it works:

• Step 1: Make your pledge before Friday, March 4, using this form. You can pledge a dollar amount for every bench press rep that Fausel completes, or you can pledge a specific total amount.
• Step 2: Following the event, HCRN will send you an email message to let you know how Chris did. The email will include a link to a secure online donation form on the HCRN website and a mailing address, if you prefer to send a check. Donations will come directly to HCRN, and will be acknowledged by HCRN.

Fausel created Reps for Research in 2015 as a way to challenge his friends and colleagues to support investigator-initiated research through HCRN. Reps for Research 2015 raised more than $1,800.

For Fausel, giving back to HCRN is a way to honor the patients he sees every day as clinical manager of oncology pharmacy at the IU Simon Cancer Center.

“These patients are facing their fight with cancer with uncommon strength and courage,” Fausel said. “It’s a privilege to compete this year in their honor.”

Fausel was appointed HCRN’s chairman, a volunteer position, in August 2013, but he has long participated in HCRN research and is an enthusiastic supporter of the organization’s work to provide access to innovative cancer therapies within local communities.

“HCRN allows patients to see their own doctors in Muncie, Bloomington, Evansville, Fort Wayne, Lafayette, and other cities both in Indiana and around the country,” Fausel said. “They have more treatment options within their own communities than they would have otherwise.”

Fausel notes that cancer research has entered a new era, with new drugs in development that use the immune system to fight cancer, as well as drugs that can be administered orally with potentially fewer side effects than those administered intravenously.

“There has never been such a promising time in cancer research,” Fausel said.

About Hoosier Cancer Research Network:

Hoosier Cancer Research Network (formerly known as Hoosier Oncology Group) conducts innovative cancer research in collaboration with academic and community physicians and scientists across the United States. The organization provides comprehensive clinical trial management and support, from conception through publication. Created in 1984 as a program of the Walther Cancer Institute, Hoosier Cancer Research Network became an independent nonprofit clinical research organization in 2007. Since its founding, Hoosier Cancer Research Network has initiated more than 150 trials in a variety of cancer types and supportive care, resulting in more than 300 publications. More than 4,600 subjects have participated in Hoosier Cancer Research Network clinical trials.