April 20, 2020: Ms. Olivia Ho Cheng, founder and CEO of Aurora Healthcare US Corp (“Aurora”) today announced that Dr. Ming Geng will assume the Chairperson position of the recently inaugurated “Aurora Care Foundation” (ACF). 

In the past several years, Aurora’s mission to combat breast cancer, one of the deadliest enemies of women’s health, has taken on an international scope.  Aurora Healthcare’s leaders have come to understand that this will require resources and support for critical efforts outside of its core business competencies. As a result, the company has founded the Aurora Care Foundation (ACF).

Upon learning of Dr. Geng’s acceptance, Ms. Cheng confirmed:  “With our company reaching the threshold of being a global breast healthcare leader, we have both an obligation and an interest in creating an independent, nonprofit entity that can focus on raising broad public awareness and understanding about the profound importance of breast health.  The ACF, with its purely philanthropic mission and responsibilities, can help encourage the development and dissemination of truly effective and affordable social and scientific tools for breast health promotion and breast cancer prevention and treatment; regardless of a country’s development status or the socioeconomic resources of affected women. To ensure ACF’s impact and success, it must be led by an individual who truly believes in such goals, who manifests empathy towards humanity, and who has immense executive experience and knowledge in leading a foundation. I am convinced that Dr. Ming Geng, is such a person.  We are fortunate that she is able and willing to accept our offer!” 

A COMMENT FROM Dr. GENG

“I am grateful to have had more than a decade of high-level mentoring combined with the opportunity to serve greater China by way of my work at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In that capacity, I've been privileged to evaluate and support great organizations and leaders with inspiring visions and the operational capabilities to achieve them.  Aurora does not waver from its mission to protect women and their families from the devastation of breast cancer – a disease that will kill more women this year than COVID-19; and every year going forward, unless we work diligently to improve prevention, treatment, and the support of cancer survivors. The opportunity to lead the Aurora Care Foundation is a great honor.   ACF’s mission is to embolden and support people and initiatives that are committed to serve and protect women and their families through charitable support and social entrepreneurship.  I am so excited to be given the opportunity to initiate the vision of the ACF board of directors.  I will devote myself to maximizing the impact of Aurora’s founding donation and work to grow the Foundation’s endowment, reach and impact”. 

Ms. Geng studied clinical medicine at the Norman Bethune University of Medical Sciences in Changchun, Jilin Province.  Dr. Geng has had 25 years of deep professional involvement in global health, global development, government affairs and philanthropy.   During her career, Dr. Geng has collaborated with leaders of governments, businesses, foundations, and other non-profit organizations around the globe, including in China and the United States, to develop and execute substantial programs in health and development that have improved many lives. Regarding Dr. Geng’s background and potential, Ms. Cheng commented:  “It is a known principle that for any effort to be successful, finding the appropriate leader with the right humanistic and leadership qualities is key.  Having Dr. Geng lead our new Aurora Care foundation is a godsend!” 

Before her work at the Gates Foundation, Ming spent over 10 years in leadership and management positions in global organizations, including The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, The Yew Chung Education Foundation, and UNICEF. In her positions with these organizations, her responsibilities have included strategy and operations, program planning and execution, and government and partner relations. From 2007 to 2019, Ming held the position of Deputy Director of the China Office for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. She led the China Office’s policy, advocacy, and government relations team which focused on strategic planning and partnership with local resources in support of the foundation’s mission to promote access to health and economic opportunity for all. Dr. Geng also oversaw multiple Gates Foundation China programs, which included poverty alleviation, HIV/AIDS prevention, tobacco control, nutrition, water, sanitation, and agricultural development in addition to a work related to China’s role in health and development for the African continent.  

Aurora Healthcare US Corp. (“Aurora”) is a privately held company, based in Massachusetts, that manufactures the only MRI system dedicated to breast imaging for screening and diagnostic indications. The system is a product of deep collaboration between world-renowned breast imaging experts, MRI physicists and electrical engineers. The Aurora dedicated 1.5T Breast MRI System has received four global qualifications: FDA clearance in 2003, Taiwan TFDA permit in 2004, CE Mark in 2005 and China FDA clearance in 2020. The integration of Aurora’s multiple innovations in hardware and software produce significantly higher-quality breast images compared to general-use MRI.  Aurora holds more than 20 patents including the elliptical magnet acquisition zone, RODEO excitation sequence, 3D-Spiral image acquisition, and AI-enabled screening and diagnostic capabilities.  Aurora seeks to be a key international leader in the global fight against breast cancer.  It is deploying comprehensive breast clinics in China to bring world-leading MRI imaging and a full range of patient-centered screening, diagnostic and cancer-survivor care to all women.