Jill Morningstar Named New Chair of Lung Cancer Research Foundation Board
News related to:Lung Cancer Research Foundation · 2 min read
NEW YORK, Oct. 20, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- The Lung Cancer Research Foundation (LCRF) has announced significant changes to its board of directors. Jill Morningstar, who has served on the board since 2024, has been named the new Chair, succeeding Colleen Conner Ziegler, who has led the board since 2023. Conner Ziegler will continue to support the foundation’s mission as a member of the board.
Morningstar’s personal connection to lung cancer is deeply rooted. In 2018, her husband, Al Fitzpayne, was diagnosed at age 46 with stage IV EGFR-positive lung cancer. This diagnosis, which came despite Al’s active and healthy lifestyle and lack of known risk factors, has driven Morningstar to become a leading advocate for lung cancer research. She has chaired the LungCAN Steering Committee’s efforts to secure increased federal funding for lung cancer research in 2022.
Morningstar’s career has spanned various roles in advocacy and public service. She has worked with the United States Congress, including with the House Education and Labor Committee under Chair George Miller, Senator Paul Wellstone, and Congressman Barney Frank. Additionally, she has been involved with advocacy organizations such as the Children’s Defense Fund, the Earl Warren Institute at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, and the Israel Association for Ethiopian Jews.
Colleen Conner Ziegler, the outgoing Board Chair, expressed her pride in the strategic vision she and the board have built.
Aubrey Rhodes, the LCRF Executive Director, praised the incoming leadership.
The new board also includes Aileen Murgatroyd and Jill Frizzley. Murgatroyd is the Chair and co-founder of Research ALKay+ve, a UK charity established in 2020 to advance research for ALK-positive lung cancer in memory of her daughter Kay, who was lost to lung cancer at the age of 24. Following her daughter’s diagnosis with stage IV ALK-positive lung cancer at age 17, Murgatroyd became a passionate advocate dedicated to accelerating research and improving outcomes for people with oncogene-driven lung cancers. Under Murgatroyd’s leadership, Research ALKay+ve has become a respected international partner, funding innovative research and collaborating with leading lung cancer organizations, including LCRF. Murgatroyd has raised more than $250,000 to support research through LCRF and currently serves as a Research Advocate for the Foundation.
Jill Frizzley, a lung cancer survivor and patient advocate, was diagnosed with stage I lung cancer in early 2025. Through genomic testing, she learned that her cancer was driven by a rare RET fusion. Her experience has reinforced her understanding of the importance of research in improving detection, treatment, and outcomes for people affected by lung cancer. Since her diagnosis, Frizzley has become an active advocate, supporting others facing lung cancer, raising awareness, and helping generate funding for research. She brings both her personal experience and professional expertise as an independent director on boards of companies across a wide range of industries to her role on the LCRF Board of Directors.
To date, LCRF has funded 450 research grants, totaling nearly $53 million, the highest amount provided by a nonprofit organization dedicated to funding lung cancer research. The foundation’s mission is to improve lung cancer outcomes by funding research for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and cure of lung cancer.