In 1997, when librarian Karen Parles, a lifelong non-smoker then 38 years old, received the stunning news that she had lung cancer, she could find no central repository of information on the disease for patients and their families. The 1981 Williams graduate soon took care of that. With her disease in remission, following experimental surgery and chemotherapy, she developed Lung Cancer Online, a Web-based trove of information on the disease and therapies and of support for patients and families. It has become widely regarded as the definitive consumer site for lung cancer, which claims more lives each year than any other form of cancer. In addition to up-to-date information on research and new therapies, the site has built a community of lung cancer patients and families, who share their experiences and support each other. “The work Karen is doing and the site she has created are extremely important contributions to the field,” according to lung cancer specialist Roman Perez-Soler.