Gwen Darien is a longtime patient advocate who has played leadership roles in some of the country’s preeminent nonprofit organizations. As Chief Patient Engagement Officer, Gwen leads programs that link patient engagement with Patient Advocate Foundation’s (PAF) direct patient service programs with the goal of improving access to affordable, quality healthcare. 

Called “a bit of a renegade” by People magazine, Gwen has long insisted on pushing boundaries while maintaining a safe space for patients. As editor and publisher of Mamm, a magazine for women with breast or reproductive cancer, Gwen published features on previously taboo subjects, such as dating after a mastectomy, along with features on news and policy analysis. Her media leadership was recognized by the Avon Foundation, which honored her as one of “the most powerful women in breast cancer.” 

As a cancer survivor herself, Gwen came into health advocacy expressly to change the experiences and outcomes for the patients who came after her and to change the public dialogue about cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. With these goals in mind, in 2005 she started the first stand-alone advocacy entity in a professional cancer research organization at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). At AACR, she launched CR magazine – a magazine for people with cancer and those who care for them. Later, she served as executive vice president of programs and services at the Cancer Support Community.  

Gwen is a member of the National Cancer Policy Forum of the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) and a member of the National Academy of Medicine’s Clinicians’ Forum on AI. Gwen has been a keynote speaker for several PCORI Annual Meetings, chaired an invited session for the Academy Health Annual Research Meeting as well as served as a co-chair and panelist for numerous NASEM workshops. Gwen also writes about her experiences as an advocate and cancer survivor and has co-authored peer-reviewed articles on person-centered care, health equity and trust.