Project Purple Podcast

Joining the Project Purple Podcast is Andrew Waters, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medical Surgical Oncology at the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Waters joins host Dino Verrelli to discuss his lab’s recent research recovery grant from Project Purple and his journey into pancreatic cancer research. Dr. Waters discusses the critical role of KRAS mutations that are found in about 93-94% of pancreatic c...

Joining the Project Purple Podcast from Indiana, pancreatic cancer survivor Beth Benedix has a deeply reflective and powerful conversation with host Dino Verrelli. A professor emerita of world literature, religious studies, and community engagement at DePauw University, Beth is also the founder of a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing joy and creativity back into classrooms: an effort tha...

In this in-depth episode of the Project Purple Podcast, CEO & Founder Dino Verrelli welcomes Dr. Despina Siolas, a physician-scientist at Cornell University whose work spans both the clinic and the research lab. With an M.D. from Stony Brook School of Medicine, a Ph. D. in genetics from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, and medical oncology training at NYU, Dr. Siolas brings a unique perspective to t...

Joining the Project Purple Podcast from Marina del Rey, California, Stage 4 pancreatic cancer survivor Mark Allen Ruegg shares his extraordinary journey from a sudden, life-altering diagnosis to becoming a powerful advocate for healing and hope with host Dino Verrelli. Mark built a life rooted in creativity as a dancer and co-owner of a small production company with his wife until everything chang...

Joining the Project Purple Podcast from the Los Angeles area, film and television professional Matt Cassani sits down with host Dino Verrelli to share his experience being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at just 34 years old, and the long, uncertain road that followed. Matt opens up about the subtle but persistent symptoms he initially dismissed, including stomach discomfort and abdominal pressur...

Joining the Project Purple Podcast from sunny Venice, Florida, originally from Wisconsin, pancreatic cancer survivor Rhonda Vavrek sits down with host Dino Verrelli to share her remarkable journey through a changing diagnosis and what it truly means to keep going when the road is anything but straight. Rhonda shares how, in June 2012, what began as upper back pain and jaundice led to a pancreatic...

On this episode of the Project Purple Podcast, host Dino Verrelli sits down with Andy Lyons, a commercial photographer from the heart of the Midwest, Iowa, as he shares his deeply personal journey with familial pancreatic cancer. With a family history spanning three generations, affecting countless family members, including his grandmother, mother, and brother, Andy has long felt the shadow of thi...

Joining the Project Purple Podcast from Brownton, Minnesota, home to the land of 10,000 lakes, seven-year pancreatic cancer survivor Rita Krueger sits down with host Dino Verrelli to share her extraordinary story of perseverance, faith, and finding purpose after a life-altering diagnosis. Rita was diagnosed in March 2018, and soon learned she would need a full pancreatectomy: a life-changing surge...

Tuning in from across the Atlantic, from Cork, Ireland, pancreatic cancer survivor Pamela Deasy joins host Dino Verrelli to offer a unique, international perspective on the realities of the disease, the power of perseverance, and insights for patients, families, and listeners worldwide in this episode of the Project Purple Podcast. Pamela shares that her journey began in the summer of 2018, when p...

Anne Dirkse is an avid cyclist, endurance athlete, software developer, and lover of all things outdoors from Loveland, Colorado. On this episode of the Project Purple Podcast, she shares the personal philosophies that guide her through her Stage 4 pancreatic cancer journey. Diagnosed in March 2025, Anne draws on a lifetime of physical fitness, nutrition, and resilience to face the challenges of he...

Jon Fox, a 41-year-old Staten Island native, shares his unique and inspiring journey on this episode of the Project Purple Podcast with host Dino Verrelli. Jon’s story begins unexpectedly at 37, when he was diagnosed with aggressive, metastatic testicular cancer: a diagnosis that would soon lead to the discovery of another, more unexpected health challenge: Stage 1 localized pancreatic cancer. Jon...

Danielle Buchanan, a proud Texan, devoted wife, and mother of three boys shares her deeply personal and inspiring journey on this episode of the Project Purple Podcast with host Dino Verrelli. A registered nurse and lifelong picture of health, Danielle reflects on how her life changed suddenly in February 2021, when unusual symptoms after a family Super Bowl celebration led to imaging that reveale...

In this eye-opening episode of the Project Purple Podcast, host Dino Verrelli has a compelling conversation with Amy Johnston of Pennsylvania, a 34-year-old mother of three young kids, who says that listening to her instincts and advocating for herself made all the difference in her journey with pancreatic cancer. Amy talks about how just a couple of months ago, she was at her healthiest—working o...

In this extremely motivational episode of the Project Purple Podcast, host Dino Verrelli speaks with Michael Kennedy of Vermont, a lawyer and avid runner whose 20 years on the roads and trails unexpectedly prepared him for the toughest marathon of his life: pancreatic cancer. Michael shares how his story began in 2023, a year packed with long runs, two marathons, and a 100‑mile relay. But when bac...

In this episode of the Project Purple Podcast, host Dino Verrelli speaks with Carmen Stewart, a pancreatic cancer survivor from across the globe, calling in all the way from Johannesburg, South Africa. Her story is one of perseverance, clarity, and transformation in the face of staggering odds. Carmen opens up about her whirlwind diagnosis in 2020 at the height of the pandemic, which followed mont...

Bill Perkins, founder of Top Fan Rivalry, a baseball-centered community organization and a pancreatic cancer survivor, speaks with host Dino Verrelli in this powerful episode of the Project Purple Podcast. Hailing from Laguna Beach in the OC, Bill’s story is as candid as it is inspiring. He shares how a moment in early 2022, when his wife noticed he looked jaundiced, set off a whirlwind of tests t...

In this episode of the Project Purple Podcast, host Dino Verrelli speaks with Lew Worthington, a former pastor and seminary professor turned author from Lansing, Michigan. He courageously shares his remarkable journey with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer, describing how a persistent side pain quickly turned into a life-altering diagnosis in 2020 that he was told gave him just months to live. Lew recount...

Every Labor Day, over 5,000 runners and 10,000 spectators fill the streets of New Haven for one of Connecticut’s most beloved events. At the heart of it all is John Bysiewicz, race director of the Faxon Law New Haven Road Races since 1989 and founder of JB Sports, the company behind over 20 more races and 30,000 participants annually. In this heartfelt episode of the Project Purple Podcast, host D...

“I think that’s what I would define pancreatic cancer as: never, ever give up.” In this powerful episode of the Project Purple Podcast, host Dino Verrelli speaks with Kelianne O’Shea, a 29-year-old from Cape May, New Jersey, who was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer just one year ago. Now on maintenance chemo and marking a full year of what she calls “surviving pancreatic cancer,” Kelian...

“I’ve given myself the title of ‘cat with nine lives.’” In this inspiring episode of the Project Purple Podcast, host Dino Verrelli talks with Toni Bravo, a pancreatic cancer survivor and student at the University of Notre Dame, to share her incredible cancer journey. Toni opens up about the shocking moment she was diagnosed during her junior year of college. The diagnosis came after an accident w...

In this heartfelt episode of the Project Purple Podcast, host Dino Verrelli sits down with Mark Wade, a stage III pancreatic cancer survivor, to share his deeply personal journey from diagnosis to remission. Mark opens up about the shock of his diagnosis in April 2021, the whirlwind of chemotherapy and radiation, and undergoing a Whipple procedure later that year. Mark reflects on the emotional to...

In this fascinating episode of the Project Purple Podcast, CEO & Founder Dino Verrelli welcomes Dr. Cosimo Commisso, interim director and deputy director of the NCI-designated Cancer Center at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute. A leader in cancer metabolism research, Dr. Commisso shares groundbreaking insights into how pancreatic cancer cells survive and thrive—and what that means...

In this powerful episode of the Project Purple Podcast, founder & CEO Dino Verrelli sits down with nine-year pancreatic cancer survivor Larry Young, a former MLB umpire who became Umpire Supervisor. From making split-second calls on the field to facing the toughest battle of his life, Larry shares his journey from diagnosis to today emphasizing the importance of early detection, perseverance, and...

In this inspiring episode of the Project Purple Podcast, host Dino Verrelli sits down with pancreatic cancer survivor and advocate Elise Roth Tedeschi. Diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer in 2012, Elise shares her incredible journey of perseverance, faith, and advocacy that defied all odds. From the early misdiagnoses to groundbreaking treatments and her unwavering determination to remain po...

In this compelling episode of the Project Purple Podcast, host Dino Verrelli sits down with Alice Frati, a resilient pancreatic cancer survivor, to discuss her journey. From the initial signs of illness in 2019 to her groundbreaking surgery and ongoing recovery, Alice shares the emotional and physical challenges she faced, including navigating treatment during the pandemic and adapting to life-cha...