Sam Guild is President of AIM at Melanoma, the nonprofit organization founded by her mother, Valerie Guild, following the death of Sam's sister, Charlie Guild, from melanoma in 2003.
As President, Sam works closely with grantors and the AIM team to guide the organization's strategic vision and future initiatives. She oversees the development of educational resources for patients, caregivers, and health care professionals, including patient treatment decision-making tools, AIM's pan-tumor AIM with Immunotherapy website, and the AIM at Skin Cancer website. She is deeply committed to advancing patient education and promoting health equity for underserved communities, including rural populations, migrant farmworkers, and individuals with skin of color.
A respected patient advocate, Sam serves on numerous governmental and nonprofit working groups and committees, including the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), ECOG-ACRIN, and ASCO's immune-related adverse events (irAE) Guideline Panel. She is regularly invited by researchers and industry leaders to provide the patient perspective on issues shaping melanoma research and treatment and frequently presents at national and international scientific conferences on the importance of integrating the patient voice into research.
Sam's advocacy extends well beyond the United States. She leads AIM's Melanoma International Patient Advocacy Coalition (MIPAC), collaborating with organizations around the world to increase melanoma awareness, change public perceptions of the disease, empower patients to take an active role in their care, and advance regulatory policies that improve access to treatment and quality care. Most recently, she has partnered with global organizations to promote equitable access to immuno-oncology therapies in low- and lower-middle-income countries.
In the public policy arena, Sam has played a leading role in advancing legislation to reduce melanoma risk. She spearheaded the successful effort in California that resulted in the 2011 passage of the nation's first law prohibiting minors under the age of 18 from using indoor tanning devices. She also oversees AIM's advocacy efforts supporting oral parity legislation to improve access to life-saving cancer treatments.
Sam earned her bachelor's degree in American Government and Women's Studies from Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, and her Juris Doctor from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento, California. She is a member of the State Bar of California and a native of New York.