Elizabeth Shepard

Georgetown Lombardi seeks to prevent, treat and cure cancers by linking scientific discovery, expert and compassionate patient care, quality education, and partnership with the community. Guided by the principle of cura personalis, “care for the whole person,” the primary objective of Georgetown Lombardi is — and always has been — to provide the most advanced treatments available to patients and, ultimately, to find a cure for this devastating disease. To this end, Georgetown Lombardi’s leadership aggressively encourages and supports multiprogrammatic and multidisciplinary research.

In 1996, Elizabeth Shepard’s sister was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer that had spread to her liver. She died six months later. Her sister’s death, and their mother’s own battle with breast cancer a year earlier, first inspired Elizabeth to join the fight against breast cancer. Four years later, Elizabeth received her own breast cancer diagnosis. Georgetown Lombardi saved Elizabeth’s life. These experiences inspired Elizabeth to give innumerable volunteer hours over the past two decades and personally fundraise more than $1 million for cancer research at Georgetown Lombardi. Elizabeth is currently the Chair of the Lombardi Gala, the organization’s largest annual fundraising event, and in 2022 the event raised nearly $1.2 million under her leadership.

Nine members of our family have been impacted by cancer, and I made it my mission to do as much as I could so other people wouldn’t have the same experience.