South Carolina State Lead Ambassador

Ian Padykula, PhD

Ian served as a Legislative Ambassador and ACT Lead before becoming our new State Lead Ambassador (SLA) for South Carolina in January of 2025. As our SLA, Ian serves as the top volunteer in the state. Ian works closely with ACS CAN staff and leads the ACT Leads and Legislative Ambassadors to mobilize ACS CAN volunteers across South Carolina in support of local, state, and federal grassroots campaigns.

Why are you a cancer advocate? 

As a child of two cancer survivors, I recognize the lifelong impact cancer has had on my life. Being here, for me, is the direct result of effective cancer research and funding of cancer centers. What would have happened if experienced physicians hadn’t been concentrated within the healthcare infrastructure surrounding my parents? What if research into the disease had faltered? These questions motivated my academic research and led to my decision to pursue postdoctoral training at the Medical University of South Carolina’s Hollings Cancer Center. From the perspective of a bench scientist at one of the National Cancer Institute’s designated cancer centers, I benefit from an inside view of the development of next generation immunotherapies and the direct pipeline from research to patient services. This viewpoint also serves as a constant reminder of how much work remains to offer all patients the same opportunity to pursue life that I’ve been afforded.

What is your proudest accomplishment as an ACS CAN volunteer?

In 2024 I helped organize an event at the Charleston Hope Lodge to bring together local stakeholders to discuss the issue of Medicaid expansion. The Hope Lodge was the first establishment of its kind in the U.S. in 1970, growing to become a landmark of the city and tasked with providing free residence for cancer patients and their caregivers during treatment. I was honored to contribute to the fight against cancer in such a meaningful setting. In attendance were cancer survivors, advocates, and the fantastic staff of the Hope Lodge. Hearing the conversations sparked between these groups and feeling the passion burning beneath their desire to take action, my fire to be a part of the solution grew. It was clear in that gathering hall that the Cancer Action Network doesn’t turn away from a challenge and has plenty of allies in their fight.

Why should others in your community get involved in ACS CAN?

When in conversation with others about my work or my volunteerism, discussion inevitably turns to how cancer impacted their lives. The same cancer that ravaged my parents’ lives touches every circle of society – loved ones, a neighbor down the street, a teacher, a friend. I was overwhelmed with the size and complexity of the problem at hand. How could a single voice make a difference? Then I would steer the conversation toward solutions such as passage of a state budget that funds cancer screenings or federal legislation impacting access to care, and I realized that the problem is not insurmountable. Working with other passionate advocates and staff partners at ACS CAN, our voices are united and many, making a clamor that’s impossible to ignore.

Want to join me in the fight against cancer? Fill out this form to sign up to be an ACS CAN volunteer in South Carolina.