Joan and Sanford I. Weill. Photo by Walter Zarnowitz, UCSF
A visionary $100 million matching grant from the Weill Family Foundation is bringing together two leading cancer centers to launch the Weill Cancer Hub West — an innovative collaboration among some of the nation’s most talented scientists that will transform cancer research and care in the next decade.
The initiative will harness the expertise and resources of two world-class institutions — the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Stanford Cancer Institute — to lead cross-specialty collaborations that accelerate new discoveries and speed the development of innovative new treatments for patients.
The new hub is supported by funding from Joan and Sanford I. Weill via the Weill Family Foundation. The two partner institutions have committed to raising $50 million apiece in matching gifts, bringing the total support to $200 million over 10 years. The initiative will launch with more than $25 million* in philanthropy already in place toward the matching goal.
“Good things happen when people collaborate. UCSF and Stanford have long been engines of innovation and biotechnology, and today they are poised to shape the future.”
Sandy Weill
Despite decades of advances in research and therapies, cancer is still on the rise, with nearly 20 million new cases and approximately 10 million deaths worldwide each year. Yet many scientists believe we are at a turning point, as revolutions in biology and immunology converge with advances in artificial intelligence technology and data science. The result is an unprecedented chance to drive real changes for patients.
“Good things happen when people collaborate,” Sandy Weill said. “UCSF and Stanford have long been engines of innovation and biotechnology, and today they are poised to shape the future. With the combined power of the brightest scientific minds and AI capabilities, the Weill Cancer Hub West will develop new ways to detect cancers at their very earliest stages, create advanced new treatments, and help patients live longer and better lives. Joan and I could not be more excited about the possibilities of this initiative.”
“Joan and Sandy Weill have a unique ability to see beyond what currently exists in a single institution or scientific program and support collaborations that will fundamentally reshape the way we treat the most devastating diseases of our time,” said Sam Hawgood, MBBS, chancellor and the Arthur and Toni Rembe Rock Distinguished Professor at UCSF. “Their generosity and vision for collaborative science will accelerate revolutions in health that will help patients everywhere.”
The groundbreaking value of collaborative science
The Weill family and their foundation are long-time champions of exceptional science and medicine, with a particular focus on the power of philanthropy to forge scientific collaborations at multiple top-tier institutions.
The Weill Cancer Hub West is the culmination of several years of planning between the Weills and the two founding institutions and is expected to transform the field of cancer research. By unifying the research within a collaborative hub, the initiative will forge partnerships that break down silos and foster collaboration among innovative scientific leaders.
Four initial projects at the edge of medical research
Weill Cancer Hub West will drive innovations in three key areas: human cells and tissues to better understand how cancer develops and affects each individual patient; data science to drive early detection, diagnoses and effective treatments; and new therapies to overcome drug resistance and inadequate responses.
It will launch with four cross-functional projects that will bring together scientists, including a Nobel laureate, at the pinnacle of their fields. Each project has a 10-year target impact:
- Project VITAL, to create a new generation of cellular therapies, using CRISPR technology to engineer immune cells inside the body;
- Project PROMISE, leveraging artificial intelligence and cellular engineering to safely and precisely destroy the most treatment-resistant solid tumors;
- Project FEAST, to identify and optimize diet and drug interventions to reduce cancer development, progression and metastasis; and
- Project IMPACT to build artificial intelligence systems that integrate clinical and biological data for precise, personalized cancer treatments.