pedal the cause
Translating complex cancer research into communications that inspired people to give, participate, and act.
the challenge
Pedal the Cause (Curebound) brought together San Diego’s leading cancer research institutions to raise funding for collaborative, groundbreaking research. The communications challenge was to make that work understandable and compelling to audiences ranging from donors and corporate sponsors, to riders, patients, and families.
The goal wasn’t simply to explain the science. It was to connect the science to its potential impact—and give people a reason to become part of it.
my role
Working in close partnership with Creative Director Kate Sinclair, my role encompassed shaping the strategy, messaging, and creative communications that brought PEDAL’s mission to life across audiences—from funders and riders to families and the broader public.
The work included translating complex research, developing advancement communications and presentations, and creating public relations and audience-facing materials designed to make the mission meaningful and actionable.
At the center of it all was a simple communications question:
How do you make complex research matter to someone who isn’t a scientist?
from science to story
Pedal’s research mission involved sophisticated concepts in cancer biology and translational research. I helped translate those concepts into concise, accessible narratives that communicated three things clearly:
The problem.
What are researchers trying to understand or overcome?
The research.
What are scientists investigating?
The potential impact.
Why could the work matter to patients and families?
Five collaborative research projects were presented in clear, audience-friendly language—from cancer metastasis and treatment-resistant tumors to hereditary breast cancer—giving donors and participants a tangible understanding of where their support could lead.
one mission. multiple audiences.
The same research mission had to work differently depending on who was receiving the message.
FOR FUNDERS
Grant and sponsorship communications connected the research need to the opportunity for philanthropic investment.
FOR RIDERS
Participant communications translated the mission into a simple progression: Ride. Raise. Research.
FOR FAMILIES
Ride for a Child put a human face on the mission by connecting pediatric cancer patients and their families with participating cycling teams.
FOR THE PUBLIC
PR and media communications made the organization’s research mission accessible beyond the scientific and philanthropic communities.
bringing the story to life
The strategy carried through presentations, fundraising materials, public relations, and team-building communications—giving Pedal a consistent visual and verbal identity while allowing the message to adapt to each audience.
selected communications
Click below to view a selection of PEDAL presentations, research communications, grant/funder materials, PR, and audience-facing work.