Leading by Example

From passionate Bike to Cure volunteers and enthusiastic riders to supportive partners and trailblazing cancer researchers, it truly takes a united community to make VeloSano the success it is. At the heart of the movement stands Allison Winter, MD, whose devotion and leadership genuinely captures the spirit of Cleveland Clinic’s global fundraising movement to beat cancer.

As the new Medical Director for VeloSano, Dr. Winter leads a peer-review committee that selects grants and determines the most impactful ways to use the funds raised. She also works closely with partners to ensure that Bike to Cure is an outstanding success. When she isn’t fulfilling these duties or riding her bike, she dedicates her time as a compassionate hematology oncologist, discussing treatment options and providing support to patients with cancer.

“VeloSano is a way to get the funds for the projects that we know are really important for the patients who we treat and see at Cleveland Clinic every day,” says Dr. Winter. “Bike to Cure is just an amazing event. The enthusiasm that you feel when you get to the Friday night Kickoff Party and then Ride Day on Saturday morning is inspiring.”

Dr. Winter is an inspiration herself, having received a VeloSano Grant this year to advance her research on central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma. This rare and aggressive blood cancer is challenging to treat due to the blood-brain barrier, a natural defense mechanism that protects the brain. However, it can also prevent chemotherapy from reaching the cancer.

“We see a lot of it here at Cleveland Clinic because it’s so difficult to treat,” says Dr. Winter. “Coming up with a regimen that’s actually easy and logistically feasible that you could start right away is incredibly important in this patient population.”

To maintain the integrity of the grant process, she recused herself from the review of her own application. Her study centers on using Golcadomide, a novel drug, paired with existing chemotherapies to penetrate the blood-brain barrier and manage the cancer. It’s a promising combination that Dr. Winter hopes will achieve better outcomes for patients.

“We all know someone who has cancer,” she says, “and the only way to improve outcomes is to do the research.”