During Regis College’s seventh annual Let It Shine Gala, Lexington resident Courtney Horvath ’06, PhD, DABT, will be honored with the prestigious Shining Example Award for her countless contributions to science and tireless advocacy of childhood cancer research. Dr. Horvath is currently the Head of Strategy, Planning and Operations for Translational Medicine at Novartis. During her career, she has been involved in the development of biopharmaceuticals across various therapeutic areas and modalities.
In 2020, Dr. Horvath’s son Colby, then eight, was diagnosed with cancer. Despite her extensive background in toxicology, Dr. Horvath was surprised to learn that her son would be treated with incredibly toxic chemotherapy that was developed and approved for use in the 1950s to 1970s. In March, she shared Colby’s story in a TEDx Talk called “Surviving the Cure” which addresses the topic of childhood cancer and toxicity. Colby was also featured on ABC’s Good Morning America during which he was named as one of the godchildren of the newest Disney Cruise ship, through Make-A-Wish America.
As the mother of a pediatric cancer survivor, Dr. Horvath was inspired to become a passionate advocate for childhood cancer research and is now a national speaker on this topic.