CARG Buddy Highlight – Collab on the Run: Drs. Reed Friend and Dr. Ashley Rosko

The CARG Buddy Program is designed to foster meaningful connections that support collaboration, career development, and friendship across the Cancer and Aging Research Group community. A wonderful example of this is the partnership between Dr. Reed Friend and Dr. Ashley Rosko, whose shared interests in multiple myeloma, aging research, and even running have led to a rewarding professional relationship and lasting friendship.

Dr. Friend is an Assistant Professor of Cancer Medicine at Levine Cancer Institute, Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center, and a practicing hematologist/oncologist specializing in plasma cell disorders. Her research focuses on optimizing outcomes for older adults with multiple myeloma. She joined CARG in 2023 and soon thereafter participated in the CARG Buddy Program at the encouragement of Heidi Klepin. Given their overlapping research interests, Dr. Friend specifically requested to be paired with Dr. Rosko and was delighted to discover they also shared a passion for running.

Dr. Rosko serves as a Professor of Hematology at The Ohio State University and Medical Director of the Oncogeriatric Program at The James Comprehensive Cancer Center. She has been involved with CARG since 2013, when she joined as junior faculty at Ohio State and was herself paired with Dr. Heidi Klepin as one of the program’s original “junior buddies.”

Although they first connected virtually, Drs. Friend and Rosko strengthened their relationship in person at an international conference, where they quickly bonded over early morning runs. Those conversations often extended beyond fitness to discussions about research ideas, career development, ongoing projects, and life in academic medicine. Their collaboration has since flourished. Together, they co-authored an invited review that was recently published, and Dr. Rosko encouraged Dr. Friend to develop and submit an investigator-initiated trial concept that may soon come to fruition.

For Dr. Friend, the partnership has been invaluable. Dr. Rosko has played an instrumental role in her career development, helping expand her professional network and introducing her to colleagues throughout the myeloma community. “It has been invaluable to have a mentor and colleague who helps guide my career while also becoming a good friend,” Dr. Friend shared. “We get to have fun together while making a meaningful difference in the care of older adults with cancer.”

Dr. Rosko emphasizes that the learning goes both ways. “Reed is fun and energetic, and I am also learning from her,” she noted. “The buddy system goes both ways.” She values the opportunities the program creates to exchange ideas, share experiences, and build relationships with colleagues who share common interests and goals.

Reflecting on their experience, both physicians highlighted the unique sense of community within CARG. Dr. Friend describes CARG as “a fantastic community for oncologists interested in improving the care of older adults and collaborating with like-minded colleagues,” while Dr. Rosko credits the network for helping members build lasting friendships, develop collaborations, and navigate the complexities of academic medicine.

As their collaboration continues to grow, Dr. Friend jokes that their next project may be training for a marathon together. Whether through research, mentorship, career development, or shared miles on the road, their partnership exemplifies the meaningful connections that the CARG Buddy Program helps create.