Gena Health Welcomes New Strategic Advisor, Simon Halden MBE
We are delighted to welcome onboard Simon Halden MBE as a Strategic Advisor for Gena Health.
Simon has more than three decades of experience leading private organisations, public-facing initiatives and working with organisations committed to improving patient outcomes. He co-founded the Sarah Greene Tribute Fund, which has raised over £1.5 million for research into triple negative breast cancer and was recognised with an MBE in the 2021 Queen’s New Year Honours. His background brings an important patient-centred perspective to our work.
"I’m thrilled to join the Gena team as a strategic advisor. There is a real opportunity now, more than ever, to improve cancer patient outcomes through tooling which brings together data from disparate sources, empowering the patient, carer and clinician. Looking at this through a patient centric lens is crucial - and an area I am genuinely excited to help the team with." - Simon Halden
Simon has spent many years working closely with families, charities, and research institutions to improve the experience of people affected by cancer. His perspective, shaped by both professional leadership and personal experience, will help Gena strengthen its work with patients, carers, and advocacy groups.
"Simon’s track record and experience speaks for itself, and we are delighted to bring him on board at Gena. A core underpinning principle for us is to build in a patient centric manner and we greatly welcome Simon’s perspectives to help us shape this. Additionally, Simon’s business acumen and fundraising capabilities demonstrate his tenacity and ability to build and maintain strong relationships, while also building organisations - attributes which we look forward to continuing to learn from as we evolve as an organisation." - Skomer Bennett-Clemmow, Gena CEO and Co Founder
We are looking forward to collaborating with Simon as we continue to develop tools that make personalised cancer treatment options easier to understand, navigate and access.
About the Sarah Greene Tribute Fund
The Sarah Greene Tribute Fund was created in 2007 by a small group of friends and family following her death. Since its founding, the fund has raised more than £1.5 million to advance scientific understanding of Triple Negative breast cancer, this aggressive disease and to help researchers working toward better treatment options. The fund is held within The Institute of Cancer Research and has become an important contributor to ongoing breast cancer research efforts in the UK, most notably in paying for two long term research fellowships based at Breast Cancer Now’s research unit at Kings College, London.
About Triple Negative Breast Cancer
Triple negative breast cancer is a form of breast cancer that does not respond to many of the common treatments used for other types. Because it lacks the three receptors that usually help guide therapy, the options can be more limited and the disease can behave more aggressively. It often grows and spreads more quickly, and it can be harder to treat if it returns after initial therapy. Research is helping to open up newer approaches, including immunotherapy and targeted treatments, but continued progress is vital. This is why dedicated funds like the Sarah Greene Tribute Fund play such an important role in supporting the scientists working to move this field forward.