FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  

  

WHAM Founder Carolee Lee Honored with 2025 Eugene O’Kelly Award by American Cancer Society 

Carolee Lee recognized for pioneering efforts in health research and championing investment in women’s health as an economic and scientific imperative. 

  

GREENWICH, Conn. (June 5, 2025) –  Women’s Health Access Matters (WHAM) proudly announces that its Founder and CEO, Carolee Lee, will be honored with the 2025 Eugene O’Kelly Award by the American Cancer Society at the Financial Services Cares Gala this Thursday. This prestigious award recognizes Lee’s unwavering commitment to advancing women’s health research and her transformative leadership in  driving investment into women’s health companies that deliver both improved outcomes and strong economic returns. 

 

The Eugene O’Kelly Award, named after the late CEO of KPMG, celebrates individuals who have made significant contributions to the fight against cancer. Under Lee’s visionary leadership, WHAM has emerged as a catalyst for change—driving new research priorities and data-backed investment strategies to address one of the most overlooked opportunities in healthcare: women’s health. 

 

“Carolee Lee exemplifies the kind of forward-thinking leadership the Eugene O’Kelly Award was created to recognize,” said Sarah Wells, Executive Vice President of the Northeast Region at the American Cancer Society. “WHAM aligns with our mission to invest in gender specific research and their trailblazing contributions prove why this information is vital for medical advances, more effective treatments, and more lives saved.” 

 

In 2020, Lee founded WHAM to increase awareness and funding for women’s health, emphasizing the importance of accounting for sex-based biological differences—critical factors that often go unexamined in traditional medical research. Collaborating with esteemed partners such as the Connors Center at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, the RAND Corporation, and the American Heart Association, WHAM has advanced data-driven strategies to accelerate scientific discovery and quantify economic impact. 

 

One of WHAM’s key areas of focus is cancer, where sex-based differences are well established yet rarely integrated into research, funding,  or treatment strategies. For example, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in women—surpassing breast, ovarian, and cervical cancers combined. Research shows that non-smoking women are more than twice as likely to develop lung cancer as non-smoking men. WHAM is committed to ensuring these biological insights guide research priorities and investment decisions to improve clinical outcomes and economic efficiency. 

 

A notable achievement under Lee’s leadership is the release of the landmark report, “The Business Case for Accelerating Women’s Health Investment,”  developed in collaboration with KPMG and the KPMG Foundation. This report offers investors compelling, data-backed insights into the untapped market potential of women’s health and highlights the opportunity for outsized returns. 

 

“It’s an honor to be recognized by the American Cancer Society,” said Carolee Lee. “Cancer shows us exactly why we need research that reflects biological differences. At WHAM, we’re focused on turning overlooked data into actionable investment—because when we invest in women’s health, we achieve improved outcomes and measurable returns.” 

 

A dedicated advocate for health research, Carolee Lee has also served on several national boards, including the La Jolla Institute for Immunology, Harvard’s Women’s Leadership Board, and the Women’s Health Advisory Board at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. She was also a founding board member of The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, where she served for 25 years, helping to build one of the most respected foundations in the field. 

 

Lee’s contributions have garnered national and global recognition; in 2024, TIME named her one of the 100 Most Influential Leaders in Global Health for reframing women’s health as both a scientific necessity and an economic imperative. 

 

The Financial Services Cares Gala, where Lee will receive her award, has a storied history of honoring philanthropic leaders committed to combating cancer. Over nearly two decades, the event has raised more than $23 million to support groundbreaking research, patient support programs, and advocacy efforts through the American Cancer Society. It will be held at Current, Pier 59, Chelsea Piers, New York City.  

 

For more information about WHAM and its initiatives, please visit www.whamnow.org.

 

Tickets can be purchased here.

 

About WHAM (Women’s Health Access Matters)  

 

WHAM, Women’s Health Access Matters, was founded by Carolee Lee, as a non-profit 501c3.  WHAM has established itself as a neutral convener, connecting leaders across sectors to advance healthcare innovations and reshape the women’s health landscape. WHAM’s initiatives, from laboratory research to real-world implementation, are designed to create sustainable impact and improve health outcomes for all. The WHAM Investment Collaborative, alongside WHAM’s renowned Research Collaborative and the soon-to-launch Life Sciences Collaborative, is focused on accelerating the development and adoption of groundbreaking healthcare solutions.     

 

Stay updated on WHAM’s initiatives by signing up for the newsletter and following us on LinkedIn and Instagram. Learn more at  www.whamnow.org.  

 

Media and Organization Contacts:  

 

Marianne Foss-Skiftesvik

(203) 434-2383

marianne@whamnow.org

 

Valerie Silverman Kerr 

914-806-6647 

valerie@vsk-publicrelations.com

 

Jasmine Bloemhof 

310-722-5861 

jasmine@vsk-publicrelations.com