Passion. Dedication. Shared purpose.

Kristen Barbarics is President and Chief Executive Officer of CureSearch. A nonprofit executive with more than 25 years of experience, she has led organizational growth, fundraising, marketing, and strategic partnerships for mission-driven organizations. Throughout her career, Kristen has helped organizations secure transformational philanthropic investments, strengthen their brands, and expand their impact.

Kristen’s commitment to childhood cancer began long before she joined CureSearch. At UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, she partnered with pediatric oncology physicians to advance childhood cancer research and established sustainable funding that continues to support the department today. She also served on the Board of Pierre’s Birthday Fund, a nonprofit supporting children undergoing cancer treatment and their families, and has worked alongside many families navigating a childhood cancer diagnosis.

Kristen holds degrees from Harvard University, Simmons University, and Boston University. She is passionate about bringing together researchers, industry leaders, philanthropists, and families around a shared purpose: accelerating the development of better treatments and cures so that every child with cancer has the opportunity to grow, thrive, and experience the future they deserve.

Tahira West is the Chief Operating Officer of CureSearch, where she partners with the CEO and Board of Trustees to advance organizational strategy, governance, and financial stewardship.

Tahira leads Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology, and Operations, building the infrastructure and systems that enable CureSearch to remain focused on accelerating pediatric cancer research.

Tahira’s work at CureSearch is a natural continuation of a career dedicated to organizations that serve children and advance health. The resources she stewards and the systems she strengthens help ensure that promising research can continue moving toward the children who need it.

Tahira holds an MBA from Rutgers University and a BS in Accounting from Seton Hall University.

Paisley Myers, PhD, is Vice President of Scientific Affairs at CureSearch, where she oversees the organization’s research portfolio and funding programs. Working with scientific and industry leaders, she helps identify and advance promising research with a viable path to children.

Paisley holds a PhD in Bioanalytical Chemistry from the University of Virginia, where her graduate research focused on identifying novel cancer biomarkers and their potential use in developing immunotherapies. She brings more than a decade of experience spanning academic, biotechnology, and clinical research, including work on cancer immunotherapy development and oversight of industry-sponsored, grant-funded, and investigator-initiated clinical trials.

Drawing on her experience across the research continuum, Paisley is passionate about bridging the gap between scientific discovery and patient impact, and ensuring that promising ideas receive the support needed to become better treatments for children with cancer.

Libby Fennell Albitre is Vice President of Development at CureSearch, where she leads the development team and guides the organization’s philanthropic strategy. Through meaningful relationships with donors, families, and partners, she builds the support needed to advance better, safer treatments for children with cancer.

Libby brings nearly 20 years of experience in nonprofit management and development spanning healthcare, higher education, and community philanthropy. Before joining CureSearch, she held roles at City of Hope, the University of Georgia, and the Community Foundation for the Central Savannah River Area.

Driven by a deep commitment to patients and families and a passion for translational research, Libby believes every child deserves a safe and effective treatment option. She especially values the relationships and shared commitment that make this work possible.

Libby earned both her bachelor’s degree in political science and her master’s degree in nonprofit management and leadership from the University of Georgia. She lives in western Wyoming with her husband and enjoys traveling to new places whenever she has the opportunity.

Lauren Rump is the Director of Ultimate Hike at CureSearch for Children’s Cancer. Her CureSearch journey began as a longtime Ultimate Hike participant and coach, before her love of the hike experience and the community it creates led her to join the staff in 2023.

With a background in operations, extensive experience in field deployment for disaster relief, and a Bachelor's degree in Social Work from the University of Houston-Downtown, Lauren brings a people-centered approach to service, leadership, and community engagement. A lifelong commitment to volunteerism and servant leadership continues to shape her work.

Through her work, she has seen the profound impact childhood cancer has on families and communities and is committed to creating hope, healing, and lasting change until there is a cure.

Elizabeth Rose is the Director of Development at CureSearch, where she has championed the organization's mission for more than five years. She connects passionate donors and families who understand the devastating impact of childhood cancer with groundbreaking research that offers children and their families greater hope.

Elizabeth is passionate about building meaningful relationships that allow supporters to see the difference their generosity can make. Elizabeth's commitment to children's well-being began during her teenage years. She was involved in volunteer work supporting vulnerable families, and that has remained a constant throughout her nonprofit career. She has served in missions for children in foster care and youth services organizations to her time at CureSearch.

Her commitment to children has deepened further through her own experience as a mother. For Elizabeth, her work reflects a deeply held conviction: children deserve to be our greatest priority.

Caira Turner is the Director of Community Engagement and Partnerships at CureSearch, where she leads community strategy, partnership development, and volunteer engagement.

With more than 20 years of nonprofit leadership experience, Caira is passionate about bringing people together around causes that matter and creating meaningful opportunities for individuals and organizations to make a difference.

Caira holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from East Carolina University and is a certified Nonprofit Board Consultant. Caira believes that strong, connected communities can be a powerful force for change and that every child deserves the opportunity to grow, thrive, and live beyond cancer.

Heidi joined CureSearch in 2019 as a Development Assistant and is currently the Senior Manager, Donor Services. She leads the donor data infrastructure and processes behind CureSearch’s fundraising operations, ensuring that every gift is accurately recorded, reconciled, and reported. She has also spent more than a decade supporting children and families in her community through her volunteer leadership work within local schools, community youth groups, and recreational sports organizations.

Heidi holds a Bachelor of Arts from Villanova University. She currently resides in Maryland.

Cheryl joined CureSearch in 2022 as the Staff Accountant and is currently the Manager of Finance and Operations. With more than 20 years of accounting experience, including more than a decade in non-profit grant accounting, she is known for her accuracy and her willingness to train and support her teammates. She holds a bachelor’s degree in office administration from Lamar University and currently resides in Texas.

Alyssa Cooling, CNP, is the Manager, Community Engagement at CureSearch for Children's Cancer, working from her home office in Fort Collins, CO.

After her own childhood cancer diagnosis, Alyssa discovered the power of the nonprofit sector and the people who make dreams real. That experience set her on a path to earn her Certified Nonprofit Professional (CNP) credential from the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance while still in college, and to build a career rooted in meaningful relationships. She's since stewarded relationships with 240 organizations at a regional capacity-building nonprofit and coached 200 volunteer leaders across 30 communities for a membership-based professional development organization. Wherever she goes, she leads with warmth and a genuine belief in people.

Outside of work, Alyssa loves spending time in nature (especially among trees), curling up with a good book (ideally speculative fiction), and being with her favorite beings: her spouse Corey, their cat Velly, and new dog Maple.

Terri is the Manager, Community Engagement at CureSearch for Children's Cancer. She brings a diverse background in partnership development, volunteer engagement, fundraising, and communications for mission-driven organizations. She has extensive experience building collaborative networks, empowering volunteer leaders, and executing strategic fundraising and communications initiatives. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Global Public Health with a concentration in Anthropology from New York University. Born and raised in New Jersey, she currently resides in South Jersey, just outside of Philadelphia, with her Golden Retriever, Cody.

Amanda Hammet serves as Manager, Executive Operations at CureSearch. She brings more than 15 years of experience partnering with senior executives and leadership teams across nonprofit, technology, healthcare, and other mission-driven organizations.

Throughout her career, Amanda has specialized in executive operations, project management, and organizational effectiveness, supporting leaders through periods of growth, change, and evolving priorities. Her experience includes managing complex cross-functional initiatives, developing systems and processes that strengthen organizational efficiency, coordinating executive and board-level priorities, and serving as a strategic operational partner across organizations. She has supported executives and teams across nationally and globally distributed organizations, bringing structure, accountability, and continuity to fast-moving environments.

Amanda holds a Bachelor of Science in Merchandising from Thomas Jefferson University.

Sarah is a twenty-year professional in mission-driven work with experience in event logistics, finance, portfolio management, and prospect research. She holds a Masters of Science in Human Performance from the University of Florida and Bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and in Exercise and Sports Science from the University of North Carolina.