Huntsman Cancer Foundation President & CEO, David Huntsman, announced today that the Jon M. Huntsman family and the Huntsman Cancer Foundation have made another gift in the amount of $5,000,000 to seed the establishment of a Center of Excellence in Women's Cancer at the Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI). In announcing the gift, Mr. Huntsman stated that, "We understand the importance of striking an appropriate balance between investing in buildings and equipment, and also investing in programs and people at the Huntsman Cancer Institute. This gift will support the recruitment of top talent in the cancer field to speed discovery from bench to bedside to benefit mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters."
Mary Beckerle, PhD, CEO and Director of HCI, noted that, "HCI is uniquely positioned to discover hidden features of cancer that will be key to eradicating the disease. Our scientists are world leaders in the discovery of inherited susceptibility genes for cancer, including genes responsible for leading cancer killers of women such as breast and ovarian cancer. Just last week, HCI announced the discovery of four new genes that increase familial breast cancer risk."
Huntsman Cancer Foundation's sole purpose is to support the lifesaving research taking place at the Huntsman Cancer Institute. In addition to seeding the establishment of the Center of Excellence in Women's Cancers, the foundation raises support each year for cancer research in all areas of cancer, and recently pledged $105 million to construct and equip the new Primary Children's and families' Cancer Research Center at Huntsman Cancer Institute. This 220,000 research expansion will double the research space at the institute, enabling it to further understandings about cancer genetics and risk for families and children, cancer treatment targets, offer increased clinical trials, and create a biotechnology center.
For more information, please visit www.huntsmancancer.org.