Skip to content

Joe Patterson

Joe Patterson

Joe Patterson serves as a Manager – Public Affairs for Friends of Cancer Research (Friends). Friends is an advocacy organization based in Washington, DC that drives collaboration among partners from every healthcare sector to power advances in science, policy, and regulation that speed life-saving treatments to patients. For more than two decades, Friends has been instrumental in the creation and implementation of policies ensuring patients receive the best treatments in the fastest and safest way possible.

At Friends, Joe manages and implements the organization’s public affairs and communications strategy, including the Friends website, mass email marketing, as well as public facing content and graphics. This includes Friends’ research and policy initiatives, legislative and advocacy priorities, and communication surrounding Friends conferences and events. Joe also develops and manages the organization’s advocacy education program, ProgressForPatients.org, an online education program to help patients, advocates, and caregivers acquire the necessary tools to effectively communicate with drug researchers, developers, and regulators. Since joining Friends in 2013, Joe previously held the roles of Public Affairs Associate and Administrative Coordinator.

Before joining Friends, Joe worked as a Staff Assistant in the Government Affairs department of the Food Research and Action Center, a national non-profit in DC focused on anti-hunger policy. His work focused on direct Congressional outreach, strategic messaging, as well as network communications and organizing. Joe has held various other positions in the D.C. area offices focusing on policy research, government affairs, and communications around issue campaigns. These organizations include the Coalition on Human Needs, National Association of Regional Councils, the Earth Day Network, and the Washington D.C. Office of Congressman Eric Massa.

Joe graduated from American University in 2012 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science.