Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) elevated Julian Adams as its president and CEO late last week.

Adams originally joined SU2C in July and has served as chief science officer for the last six months. 

Now, he’ll take the helm in place of Russell Chew, who has headed the cancer research charity since 2020, and will also join the organization’s board of directors.

Effective January 1, 2024, Adams’ CEO position will entail taking on responsibility for the organization’s strategic direction as well as day-to-day operations. 

Adams will spearhead research investments and work on bolstering the charity’s relationships with its scientific partners — including with the American Association for Cancer Research — along with researchers in the cancer world.

Adams joined SU2C this summer following a nearly five year stint as CEO at cell therapy company Gamida Cell. Before that, Adams served as president of research and development at Infinity Pharmaceuticals, and held various leadership roles at Millennium Pharmaceuticals — which was acquired by Takeda Pharmaceuticals in 2008.

In his most recent role at Millennium, Adams worked as SVP of drug discovery and development. In the 1980s and 1990s, Adams worked at Boehringer Ingelheim as a director in the department of medicinal chemistry.

Sherry Lansing, co-founder of SU2C and an Entertainment Industry Foundation board member, pointed to Adams’ decades-long experience in the oncology space as an appealing trait that will influence his leadership tenure.

“This transition marks an inflection point for SU2C as we intensify our focus on cutting-edge cancer research and expand our fundraising portfolio,” Lansing said in a statement. “Elevating a deeply experienced oncology research and industry leader to the CEO role reflects SU2C’s commitment to advancing new cancer treatments that can save lives.”

The appointment comes as SU2C celebrates its 15th anniversary this year, which it announced in tandem with a fundraising campaign that featured celebrities, cancer researchers and cancer survivors. 

In a television special that aired in August, SU2C brought on celebrities including Katie Couric and Justin Timberlake, as well as Zach Galifinakis and Melissa McCarthy.

The organization has also rolled out a series of PSAs to raise awareness about cancer research throughout the year, involving its own set of cancer researchers, Academy Award-winning actor Matthew McConnaughey and the estate of former Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek to generate more funding.

Adams noted in a statement that he’ll be focused on leading the organization into its next phase of growth and progress in his new role as CEO.

“SU2C’s commitment to collaboration and relentless drive to innovate are the core values that fuel our dedication to funding cutting-edge research,” Adams said. “I have devoted my career to investigating how to defeat this insidious disease, and this role further amplifies that work.”