Research advocate, Linda Horton, dies in accident

Linda Horton, a longtime Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center research advocate and former employee, died Jan. 20, along with her husband, David Horton, in a car accident in Spring Hill, Tennessee.

 After her breast cancer diagnosis in 1995, Linda Horton changed directions professionally and pursued a career in cancer research and advocacy. For 15 years, she worked in the lab of Ann Richmond, PhD, as a senior research specialist in the Department of Cancer Biology where she received the 2014 Edward E. Price Jr. Award for Excellence in Basic Research.

In 2011, she joined the VICC Research Advocacy Program where she shared tirelessly her passion and commitment to help researchers bring the best science to all patients affected by cancer. In this role, she served as a research advocate for the Vanderbilt-Ingram Breast SPORE, Scientific Review Board and, at a national level, she shared her insight and expertise with organizations such as the American Cancer Society, Susan G. Komen and Department of Defense. 

Horton was always eager to bring back ‘lessons learned’ to Vanderbilt-Ingram by attending national advocate scientific meetings and seminars hosted by ASCO, AACR, the Research Advocacy Network, and Era of Hope. In addition, she was especially passionate about supporting young investigators and educating them on the importance of advocate input in their science.