Returning for its second year in Greater Nashville, "ResearcHERS: Women Fighting Cancer" unites 44 area women as ambassadors to help the American Cancer Society (ACS) raise funds to directly support women-led cancer research. Now through June 30 these ambassadors will be fundraising online at ACSResearchers.org/Tennessee.

The initiative spotlights the life experiences and discoveries of women in research and aims to inspire the next generation of girls to pursue their dreams of a career in science. ResearcHERS of Nashville is being chaired by Cathy Eng, M.D., of Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center.

The American Cancer Society is the nation's largest, non-governmental provider of cancer research funding, with more than $4.8 billion invested since 1946.

Currently, half of the ACS's grantees are women. The ACS is known for funding researchers at every phase of their career, including two essential times when it can be especially challenging: early in one's career and in support of early research, which can lead to breakthroughs that revolutionize healthcare and save lives.

"One brilliant idea or concept can save countless lives," said Lindsey Langley, executive director for the ACS in Tennessee. "Cancer doesn't discriminate, and the next big discovery may come from a scientist funded by the ResearcHERS initiative." Langley said the Tennessee campaign has a $50,000 goal.

ACS ResearcHERS supports all cancer types and ages. The ACS has a rigorous peer-review process to fund the most exceptional applications, regardless of cancer type, or gender of the applicant. Once the best research has been identified for funding, ResearcHERS funds will then be applied to women-led grants.

The 2020 ACS ResearcHERS ambassadors for Nashville are:

Adrienne Nordman, Alicia Engram, Andile Moyo, Anna Claire Abbas, Autumn Marshall, Barbara Bell, Brittany Moon, Camille Rouse, Caren Ellison, Carole Ann Mobley, Cathy Eng, Cheryl Dotson, Danielle Breezy, Dawn Brewer, Debbie Hunter. Elizabeth Turner, Gretchen Campbell, Jenny Stripling, Johnetta Blakely, Karen Jerkins, Kathy Farley, Kelley Farrow, Kelli Zane, Kelly Lenz, Kemiya Langley, Laura Friggeri, Lauren Funk, Lena McMillan, Linda Shriver Buckner, Linda Sneed, Lindsey Langley, Lisa Bellin, Madison McCafferty, Maria Cornelius, Marly Landis, Mary Beth Reed, Meg Chamblee, Peggy Swann, Peyton Sams, Sophia Conerly, Susan Bentley, Susan George Austin, Tiana Lemons, and Zarita Fears.

For more information, visit ACSResearcHERS.org/Tennessee. Follow the American Cancer Society and ResearcHERS in Greater Nashville on Facebook at ACS.Nashville.TN.

To learn more about ACS research work, visit cancer.org/research.