A conversation with Ken Carlson and Jay Culverwell about how they’re addressing the Grand Challenge of cancer through their work and their participation in the Pan-Mass Challenge
By Jessica Leff
Imagine it’s 5:50 AM on a Saturday morning in August. The sun’s only been out for 20 minutes, but that hasn’t stopped thousands of bicyclists and an equal number of volunteers from gathering in central Massachusetts. There’s a feeling of anticipation as the clock keeps ticking, getting closer to 6:00 AM. Everyone is there for the same reason: to raise money for cancer research and treatment.
The Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC) is a bike-a-thon that raises more money for charity than any other single athletic fundraising event in the United States. 100% of all rider-raised funds go directly to cancer research and treatment at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, a Wyss collaborating institution, and the Jimmy Fund. Since its start in 1980, the PMC has raised more than a billion dollars.
Traditionally, the main event consisted of a two-day ride from Sturbridge, MA to Provincetown, MA, which is at the tip of Cape Cod. This year, two-day riders will start in either Worcester or Wellesley. There are 14 fully supported routes, ranging from 25 to 177 miles, accommodating various levels of cycling ability.
Two Wyss members, Senior Director of Translational R&D Ken Carlson, Ph.D., and Senior Associate Director of Intellectual Property Jay Culverwell, J.D., will be among the two-day riders starting from Worcester and cycling 177 miles to Provincetown. Actually, they will start one day earlier from their homes and bike to the start in Worcester. This will be Carlson’s fourteenth PMC. He started in 2012 and has only missed one year since. In 2023, Culverwell joined his group, and he hasn’t looked back.
Both are avid cyclists with a personal connection to cancer and, like everyone at the Wyss, a strong desire to make a positive impact.
We sat down with Carlson and Culverwell ahead of the ride to discuss their motivations, the event itself, their work at the Wyss, and what they take away from the experience and bring back to the Institute.
What initially motivated you to become involved in the PMC?
Ken Carlson: I’ve always done charity bike rides. I’ve raised money for diseases like multiple sclerosis and diabetes, along with a home for runaway and abused children in Trenton, NJ. When I moved to Massachusetts in 2009, everyone said, “You’ve got to do the PMC, it’s amazing.” In 2012 I did my first PMC with several friends who showed me the ropes, and it was an incredible experience.
As of that time, I had lost my stepdad to pancreatic cancer and my grandfather to melanoma. I also lost a friend to ovarian cancer. As I started raising money, those were the stories I was thinking about.
Jay Culverwell: In March of 2022, I was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia. Fortunately, it’s treatable. As I was going through my treatment, Ken, whom I had worked with on several projects and who knew I was a cyclist, told me, “You’ve got to do the ride.” I assured him that once I got past this, I would. He encouraged me, and once I was in remission, I was excited to join him.
I was fortunate to have a type of cancer that is treatable. I almost feel it’s my duty to raise money and do as much as I can to help researchers find cures for other cancers…It truly feels like I am giving back to the wonderful medical professionals who saved my life.
Ken: I’ve encouraged a number of friends to do the PMC. I think whether you’re a cancer survivor or have lost someone to cancer, it’s a good way to channel your energy and turn a bad thing into something good.
What continues to keep you enthusiastic about participating?
Ken: My daughter Sabina was diagnosed with clear cell sarcoma in 2018 while she was pregnant with our granddaughter. That made the PMC hit even closer to home, and I kept riding through her cancer ordeal. Sadly, she passed away in 2022. You can learn about her remarkable life in this Boston Globe obituary.
My family has been hit particularly hard by cancer, and we can’t control that. What we can do is channel that experience into something positive.
Since my first PMC, I’ve raised $260,000 for cancer research, and over the last seven years, I have directed my funds toward the Sarcoma Department at Dana-Farber. Sarcomas are rare cancers that can be hard to fund because there are more than 100 types and each one only impacts a small number of patients. Raising money for cancer research, specifically the one that took my daughter, is a huge motivation. As a scientist, I am always grateful to philanthropists who donate money so we can conduct research on a topic they care about. In a way, I’m on the other side of that. So, I work hard on fundraising and am grateful for my incredibly generous friends and family. I know that without my efforts and their support, some research simply would not happen.
However, at this moment, I’d encourage anyone who wants to contribute to give to Jay, since I’ve already met my initial fundraising goal.
Jay: Thanks, Ken! The event itself is very motivating. It’s really important to me to pay it forward. I was fortunate to have a type of cancer that is treatable. I almost feel it’s my duty to raise money and do as much as I can to help researchers find cures for other cancers.
I also had all my outpatient treatments at Dana-Farber, and my inpatient segments at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. It truly feels like I am giving back to the wonderful medical professionals who saved my life.
What is the atmosphere like during the event? What makes the PMC so special?
Jay: The atmosphere is incredible, and the energy is so contagious. There are thousands of people at the starting line, all with a common goal.
Ken: There are teams of spirited people who dress up in different ways. For example, there’s a team where all the riders have Kermit the Frog attached to their helmets or bikes in support of a child with cancer who was a big fan. Other teams have photos of people they lost. Some riders encourage every donor to give them a name tag honoring someone, so they are riding with tons of stickers on them.
As Day 1 continues, riders get more spread out, but it’s incredibly well-organized, and there are tons of volunteers. There are people cheering you on, holding signs that say things like, “I’ve been cancer-free for the last five years. Thank you, PMC riders.”
Jay: The end of Day 1 is in Bourne, right off the Cape. Riders stay at Mass Maritime Academy, either in dorms, on ships, or in tents. Those same people from the starting line are there, sometimes joined by additional family members to celebrate. There are tents and live music. The next day, we wake up and continue to the finish line.
Ken: The power and emotion of the ride come from the fact that everyone has a connection to cancer. As you meet volunteers and other riders, you can’t help but hear their stories. While the route has typically stayed the same, what changes are the interactions, the things you learn, and your own emotions.
Can you give one or more examples of a particularly memorable part of the ride or person you’ve met?
Jay: Ken introduced me to his riding team, some of whom are also Living Proof riders, or cancer survivors. Others, like Ken, have family members affected by cancer.
Ken: In addition to our core group, I’ve met a lot of people along the way. For example, the person whose lab I support, George Demetri, is a PMC rider himself. But most importantly, seven years ago, when my daughter was still alive and battling cancer, I was at the Mass Maritime Academy after the first day of riding, and had been actively looking for a team to join to raise money for sarcoma. I’m standing in line for a lobster roll, and right in front of me is a woman wearing a shirt that says, “Sarcoma Cycling Brigade.” I tapped her on the shoulder, and we started talking. She had lost her daughter to sarcoma. I joined the team and now raise money for sarcoma research with them. That was a very powerful connection.
At the PMC, there’s this shared promise. For a few days, you are riding and talking about everything from the challenges you experienced to the hope you feel for research to the cures that are making a difference.
Logically, you know the experiences you’ve had are shared among other people, but you don’t often meet and talk with people about that shared pain. At the PMC, there’s also this shared promise. For a few days, you are riding and talking about everything from the challenges you experienced to the hope you feel for research to the cures that are making a difference.
Jay: The most memorable part of the ride for me is a segment called Pedal Partners. Near the end of the first day, you ride past pictures of children who have cancer and have been adopted by groups riding the PMC. It’s not just a few; it’s poster after poster after poster. You’re feeling exhausted, but seeing these images is so motivating. That’s what we’re riding for.
Ken: This year, our seven-year-old granddaughter, Sabina’s daughter, participated in her first PMC Kids Ride after clamoring to do it for years. It was five miles in Manchester-by-the-Sea. The route was much hillier than she’s used to, but she powered through, raising $1,500. She was proud and understood that what she was doing was bigger than herself. It was so amazing to watch. Now she understands a little bit more about what Pop-Pop is doing and that sometimes you have to suffer a little bit for the causes you care about.
Why is it important to support cancer research, maybe now more than ever?
Ken: Cancer is not a single disease; it’s thousands of diseases, and there isn’t one simple cure.
Jay: And there’s unlikely to be just one easy cure, which means it takes a lot of effort, through research and funds, to find treatments for different types of cancer.
Ken: Also, cancer doesn’t discriminate. You don’t know if or when you or someone you love will be diagnosed with cancer. It’s devastating and life-changing.
Thankfully, research has proven to yield discoveries, and often the only thing that gets in the way is a lack of funding. Donations to cancer research really do make a difference.
Speaking of research, what are you working on at the Wyss Institute and how does it connect to cancer?
Jay: I’m a patent attorney, and I manage the intellectual property portfolio. The Wyss’ ultimate goal is to translate scientific innovations and transfer them to companies that will further develop them into products that benefit society. A significant amount of what I work on is therapeutics, which is near and dear to my heart. Having battled leukemia, it makes it all the more important for me to support and be involved with research and translation of therapeutics.
The PMC is a reminder of why we do what we do at the Wyss Institute, where we’re trying to find cures for people who have terrible diseases. When I get to work the following Monday, I am even more motivated.
Ken: I’ve worked in many other therapeutic areas over my career, but in the last five years, I’ve been primarily focused on cancer research. It’s very empowering and uplifting to be able to do that. In 2024, our team at the Wyss was awarded $27M by ARPA-H to advance a novel, disease-agnostic RNA therapeutic that activates the innate immune system, enabling the body to use its own tools to fight cancer. It’s challenging, but it’s also exciting. It’s an amazing opportunity to be able to be on the research side.
What experiences or lessons do you take back to the Wyss and share with others?
Jay: You see this huge community of individuals and all of the people who’ve supported them with donations, and it’s just incredible how everyone comes together for a common cause.
Ken: Seeing that there are enough people who care about this to put that kind of energy into it is staggering. I wish more people could experience the PMC, especially if they have a cancer connection.
Jay: At the end of the weekend, I’m exhausted because I don’t usually ride two long days back-to-back. But I’m also invigorated. It’s a reminder of why we do what we do at the Wyss Institute, where we’re trying to find cures for people who have terrible diseases. When I get to work the following Monday, I am even more motivated.
Ken: My family has been hit particularly hard by cancer, and we can’t control that. What we can do is channel that experience into something positive. It’s gratifying to feel like you’ve physically pushed yourself and put yourself out there to raise money for something you believe in. The PMC is a moving and healing event, but then doing cancer research as my day job is an extension of that same response.
So, I agree with Jay: coming back to the Wyss, there’s renewed and powerful motivation to keep going.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.