Donor Recognition

Paula and Rodger Riney of St. Louis, through the Paula and Rodger Riney Foundation, have made a $40 million grant to support multiple myeloma research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The grant represents the largest single award supporting multiple myeloma research in Dana-Farber’s history. The Paula and Rodger Riney Foundation has been a strong supporter of Dana-Farber and with this grant has cumulatively awarded nearly $60 million to the Institute.

Multiple myeloma is a challenging cancer that forms in a type of white blood cell called a plasma cell. Dana-Farber has been at the forefront of multiple myeloma therapies over the past two decades, helping to convert myeloma from a fatal disease to a chronic condition for many patients.

However, therapeutic resistance and drug-related toxicities continue to take a toll on many patients, underscoring the need for innovative treatments.

“The path to developing new treatments for multiple myeloma is through rigorous research,” said Laurie H. Glimcher, MD, president and CEO of Dana-Farber and the Richard and Susan Smith Professor of Medicine. “The most effective way to spur that research is in supporting the scientists doing the complex work. The Riney Family are generous and stalwart supporters, and through this grant and their previous support they continue to make a profound impact on scientific discovery and clinical care. Their leadership will help patients at Dana-Farber and around the world.”

“My own journey as a myeloma patient—and knowing how many others are also living with this disease—has led us to seek out the individuals, teams, and organizations that are on the leading edge of research,” said Rodger Riney. “There is no time to waste in the pursuit of better understanding, treatment, and cures.”

Accelerating translational research

This new $40 million grant builds upon ongoing work and will deepen and expand approaches for addressing the most complex challenges in myeloma research and improving patient care. Specifically, this grant will:

• Renew support for preclinical experiments to identify novel targets and develop new medicines and immune-based therapies for patients;

• Fund clinical research designed to test novel myeloma therapies, alone and in combination with standard and experimental treatments, to improve patient outcomes; and,

• Support co-location of myeloma labs at Dana-Farber to facilitate greater cohesion and collaboration among members of the research team.

“I extend my heartfelt thanks to Paula and Rodger Riney for their unprecedented support of our research to develop novel treatments for multiple myeloma,” said Ken Anderson, MD, program director at Dana-Farber’s Jerome Lipper Multiple Myeloma Center and LeBow Institute for Myeloma Therapeutics and the Kraft Family Professor of Medicine. “This very generous grant will fast-forward our translation of basic discoveries to clinical trials, ultimately providing innovative treatments for patients and their families.”

Anderson will lead the research efforts supported by this grant in close partnership with Nikhil Munshi, MD, director of basic and correlative science at the Lipper Center and the Kraft Family Chair at Dana-Farber. The grant will also provide support for clinical work led by Paul Richardson, MD, clinical program leader and director of clinical research at the Lipper Center and the R.J. Corman Professor of Medicine.

“My family and I feel grateful to be able to support Ken, Paul, and Nikhil and their teams at Dana-Farber who are making incredible inroads,” said Riney. “We are humbled by the lifelong dedication that they bring to myeloma patients suffering from this terrible disease. We hope this gift will inspire others to also support the tremendous work happening every day in Dana- Farber’s labs and clinics.”

A legacy of leadership

The Rineys have a strong legacy of supporting multiple myeloma research at Dana-Farber and in 2019 gave a $16.5 million gift to establish the Riney Family Multiple Myeloma Initiative, which has driven groundbreaking research in record time. Examples of recent discoveries by Dana-Farber investigators include:

• Bringing therapeutic antibodies, which help immune cells find and attack tumors, to patients with multiple myeloma.

• Setting the stage for the development of innovative therapies that exploit the unique vulnerabilities of multiple myeloma cells.

Over the past two years, the Paula and Rodger Riney Foundation also made gifts totaling $2.6 million to establish the Riney Family Fund for COVID-19 and Multiple Myeloma Research at Dana-Farber, under Richardson’s direction.

These commitments provide powerful momentum for The Dana-Farber Campaign, an ambitious multi-year $2 billion fundraising effort to prevent, treat, and defy cancer by accelerating revolutionary science, extraordinary care, exceptional expertise, and essential opportunities.

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The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) has granted three Dana-Farber investigators a total of $1.35 million to support innovative research aimed at improving the diagnosis and treatment of breast and ovarian cancer.

With funding from MLSC’s Women’s Health Program, Elizabeth Mittendorf, MD, PhD, director of the Breast Immuno-Oncology Program and co-director of the Breast Cancer Clinical Research Program at Dana-Farber, is leveraging digital technologies to identify and cure high-risk breast cancer. In collaboration with an industry partner, Mittendorf is designing computer algorithms capable of identifying features in tumor biopsies and surgical specimens that can distinguish between high- and low-risk breast tumors.

“This project could lead to the development of new diagnostic and prognostic tools that will help us determine which patients are at greater risk of tumor recurrence after standard treatment and might benefit from a more aggressive therapeutic approach,” Mittendorf said. “I am extremely grateful to the MLSC for funding this work.”

Elizabeth Stover, MD, PhD, and Sara Tolaney, MD, MPH, chief of the Division of Breast Oncology within the Susan F. Smith Center for Women’s Cancers, have each been awarded a Women’s Health Innovation grant.

Tolaney aims to determine how microbes in the intestines influence therapeutic responses in patients with breast cancer. Results from these experiments may reveal specific types of bacteria whose prevalence in the gut predict whether a patient will respond to a given therapy. The findings might also help researchers learn how to alter microbial populations in the gut to improve patient responses to breast cancer treatments.

In collaboration with Oliver Jonas, PhD, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Stover is using an implantable microdevice smaller than a grain of rice to measure drug responses in patients with ovarian cancer. The microdevice is designed to release up to 20 drugs into non-overlapping regions of tumor tissue. By implanting it directly into patients’ tumors and later analyzing the tumor tissues surrounding it, Stover can assess the anti-tumor activity of each drug. This novel technology could one day be used to optimize treatment in patients with ovarian cancer.

The MLSC’s multi-pronged mission is to serve as the hub of the world’s life sciences ecosystem; encourage innovation through investments in good science and business; strengthen and protect Massachusetts’ global leadership position in the life sciences; accelerate the commercialization of promising treatments, therapies, and cures that will improve patient care; create jobs; and drive economic and workforce development in science and technology. Its Women’s Health Initiative, launched in 2020, supports and incentivizes translational research focused on health challenges that predominantly affect women.

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Supporting Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is a lifelong commitment for Emily and Ned Sherwood. Sitting in their sunny Florida home, Emily Sherwood fondly shared recollections of her sister, Daryl Elizabeth Layzer, “a very bright, motivated person who worked throughout her illness. Her life was cut short, too early. She had a lot more to give.”

In her memory, the Ned & Emily Sherwood Family Foundation established the Daryl Elizabeth Layzer Endowed Fellowship at Dana-Farber with a gift of $1 million. The fellowship furthers research in multiple myeloma under the direction of Kenneth Anderson, MD, program director of the Jerome Lipper Multiple Myeloma Center and LeBow Institute for Myeloma Therapeutics and the Kraft Family Professor of Medicine. He was also Daryl’s physician. The endowment will specifically fund the work of a fellow selected annually by Anderson.

Investment in talent is one of the most important ways to accelerate scientific discovery, and the Sherwoods have long known that support of “human capital” is key to keeping Dana-Farber at the forefront of cancer medicine.

“We have been giving to further Ken’s multiple myeloma research since 1998,” said Ned Sherwood. Their ongoing contributions, in tribute to Daryl, have focused on advancing multiple myeloma research and talented fellows under Anderson’s tutelage. Building on their long legacy of generosity to Dana-Farber, this permanent fund will support generations to come. “Years ago, we started working with Ken to help defray costs of a promising researcher, and we’ve been fortunate to support fellows over the years. We are delighted to endow our support to ensure that important advances in myeloma research and care continue generation after generation.”

“Endowed positions like the Daryl Elizabeth Layzer Endowed Fellowship serve as a powerful recruitment and retention tool in support of exceptional talent,” said Anderson. “With Emily and Ned’s generous support, we will continue to attract the best and brightest minds and continue to shape the next generation of leaders in cancer research and care. We are deeply grateful for their inspirational, long-lasting, and heartfelt tribute to Daryl, which will benefit patients with myeloma worldwide.”

Anderson has mentored many pioneers and internationally recognized researchers who continue to make valuable breakthrough contributions at Dana-Farber and around the world. This includes Annamaria Gullà, MD, who was awarded the prestigious 2020 Joanne Levy, MD, Memorial Award for Outstanding Achievement, an honor given to an American Society of Hematology Scholar. Gullà was supported by funding from the Sherwoods’ previously established Daryl Elizabeth Layzer Term Fellowship.

“Ken cares so much,” said Emily Sherwood. “While he receives so many wonderful recognitions and honors all over the world, he remains truly compassionate, inspirational, and humble. He has built up a department at Dana-Farber that is second to none. This is not a commitment that has a beginning and end for us. No matter what, we will always recognize Dana-Farber and what they did for my sister.”

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Since 2013, Neal and Vicki Roth’s support has fueled remarkable progress in multiple myeloma research under the leadership of Kenneth Anderson, MD, program director of Dana-Farber’s Jerome Lipper Center for Multiple Myeloma and LeBow Institute for Myeloma Therapeutics, and the Kraft Family Professor of Medicine. Now, through a gift of $1 million providing additional support to the Vicki and Neal Roth Fellowship for Multiple Myeloma Research, the Roths have underscored their commitment to transforming the prognosis for multiple myeloma patients at Dana-Farber and around the world.

Due in no small part to Anderson and his colleagues at Dana-Farber, the outlook for patients with multiple myeloma has improved dramatically over the past two decades. Anderson’s work led to the development of bortezomib, which was the first new myeloma medicine in more than 30 years when it was approved by the FDA in 2003. Anderson and his team have led the way in developing almost all of the 15 medicines approved for myeloma today, enabling many patients to live three to five times longer than they did before the approval of bortezomib.

There is, however, still work to be done. Over time, myeloma cells grow impervious to even the most potent medicines, causing disease relapse. Moreover, some myeloma subtypes do not respond well to standard treatments. Through the Roth Fellowship for Multiple Myeloma Research, under Anderson’s direction, physician-scientists at the Lipper Center are confronting these challenges head on. The Roths’ recent gift will sponsor five fellows as they pursue investigations aimed at answering the most critical questions regarding the biology and treatment of myeloma. The inaugural Roth Fellow, Liang Lin, PhD, demonstrated the lifesaving work that is possible with this support. Among other points of progress, Lin advanced the development of an antibody-drug conjugate, a new type of medicine for myeloma, toward clinical trials. Investments in developing this type of expertise and in advancing new treatments and prevention are critical

priorities of The Dana-Farber Campaign.

The Roths believe in the continued impact that the fellows will have in myeloma research. “The Roth Fellows, with Dr. Anderson as their mentor, have the power to change the course of this disease,” said Neal. “Their work is essential to creating a world in which myeloma is not only treatable, but preventable.”

Anderson, who has built a relationship with the Roths over the past nine years, looks forward to extending the pipeline of promising new treatment strategies with their support and building the next generation of leaders for myeloma research.

“Vicki and Neal have been tremendous partners in the progress we have made in myeloma research and treatment,” Anderson said. “With this generous gift, our team will build upon these achievements in the years ahead.”

In honor of Anderson’s work, the Roths have also contributed an ink print by Frank Grisdale entitled “Sweet Fields, Study No. 2, 2008,” which will be displayed at the Yawkey Center for Cancer Care.

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Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the most common type of pancreatic cancer, accounting for more than 90% of diagnoses. Highly aggressive, the disease is difficult to treat with very limited therapeutic options. To help expedite the development of new treatments, the Lustgarten Foundation recently provided a $1.2 million grant to Dana-Farber’s David Pellman, MD, the Margaret M. Dyson Professor of Pediatric Oncology. The Lustgarten Foundation funds innovative and bold research that aligns with their mission to transform pancreatic cancer into a curable disease. This grant builds on the foundation’s two decades of significant support for Dana-Farber’s pioneering pancreatic cancer research, including previous support of Pellman’s PDAC studies. Since 2002, the Lustgarten Foundation has granted more than $14.5 million to Dana-Farber.

“New therapeutic options are desperately needed for patients with this devastating disease,” said Pellman. “We are very grateful to the Lustgarten Foundation for supporting our efforts to understand the biology driving pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and identify more effective treatments and approaches.”

PDAC is difficult to treat in part because it progresses at such a rapid pace. Scientists believe this is connected to the fact that PDAC genomes undergo largescale, “catastrophic” rearrangements all at once rather than changing one mutation at a time. Pellman and his team have identified two specific events that cause pancreatic cells to undergo errors as they grow and divide, which they believe to be the source of the initial genome catastrophes that arise as PDAC progresses. With this support from the Lustgarten Foundation, Pellman and his team will further explore these two events and directly test their impact on PDAC progression.

Another obstacle to treating PDAC is that immunotherapies—treatments that help the immune system fight cancer—are not yet effective against the disease. Cancer immunotherapy has transformed outcomes for some patients with cancer, but the approach is currently effective for only about a quarter of cancer patients. Dramatically increasing the percentage of patients for whom immunotherapies are successful is a key priority of The Dana-Farber Campaign. This new Lustgarten Foundation grant will allow Pellman and his laboratory to test new strategies that might boost the efficacy of immunotherapies against this disease, potentially expanding the benefit of this treatment approach to patients with PDAC.

“Dr. Pellman’s exciting immunotherapy project is precisely the kind of high-risk, high-reward research that has the potential to dramatically accelerate and expand lifesaving treatment options,” said Linda Tantawi, Lustgarten Foundation CEO. “The Lustgarten Foundation is committed to advancing the best science conducted by the best, most creative scientists in the field. Our longstanding partnership with and investment in Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is a testament to their exceptional research.”

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Since its founding in 1991, Gateway for Cancer Research has accelerated promising early phase clinical trials to develop novel therapies for all types of cancers. With the aim of bringing breakthroughs to the bedside for courageous patients and their families, Gateway has supported more than 190 clinical trials over the past three decades. In 2021, Gateway awarded three grants totaling more than $1 million to Dana-Farber’s Suzanne Forrest, MD, Jonathan Schoenfeld, MD, MPH, and Sara Tolaney, MD, MPH, chief of the Division of Breast Oncology within the Susan F. Smith Center for Women’s Cancers.

“It is a privilege to support the high-caliber clinical research being advanced at Dana-Farber,” said Michael Burton, president and CEO of Gateway for Cancer Research. “We believe in the power of partnerships at Gateway and we are confident that our collaboration with Dana-Farber will truly make a difference for the patients we serve.”

“We are honored to award and activate these three early phase trials led by clinician-scientists who are passionate and relentlessly focused on cancers where there is a large unmet need,” said Delora Senft, chief program officer of Gateway for Cancer Research.

Forrest is directing her funding toward a phase 2 clinical trial testing combination immune checkpoint therapy in pediatric, adolescent, and young adult patients with INI1-negative tumors, a group of aggressive cancers that are difficult to cure. This trial comes on the heels of a genomic study of such cancers which found that a significant portion of INI1-negative tumors express PD-L1, an immune checkpoint protein that keeps the immune system from recognizing and attacking cancer cells. A phase 1 clinical trial testing nivolumab and ipilimumab, both checkpoint inhibitors, confirmed the treatment combination was safe for pediatric patients. This phase 2 trial will help determine its efficacy in a specific group of cancers that need better treatments.

“There is a pressing need to identify effective treatments for INI1-negative pediatric cancers,” Forrest explained. “With Gateway’s support, we are one step closer to bringing a promising therapy to a particularly vulnerable population.”

With Glenn Hanna, MD, director of the Center for Salivary and Rare Head and Neck Cancers, Schoenfeld is leading a clinical trial for adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC), a cancer of the salivary glands that can be particularly difficult to treat once it has metastasized. Their team is testing the efficacy of a new therapeutic approach in which early metastatic sites of ACC, prior to widespread metastasis, are locally treated with a targeted form of radiation. The aim of the trial is to ascertain whether such focused and specialized treatment in the early phases of metastasis can prevent the spread of ACC.

“We are profoundly grateful to Gateway for making this trial possible for our patients,” said Schoenfeld. “With their help, we could validate a treatment method that changes the standard management of this disease.”

Tolaney is leveraging her award to determine if immunotherapies are effective against hormone receptor-positive (HR+) breast cancer. She and her colleagues have developed a phase 2 trial that will utilize a novel antibody drug-conjugate called sacituzumab govitecan in addition to immunotherapy for patients whose metastatic HR+ disease expresses PD-L1.

“Patients with HR+ metastatic breast cancer face limited treatment options,” said Tolaney. “Thanks to Gateway, we are able to investigate if immunotherapy, which has been transformative for many other cancers, could answer this unmet clinical need.”

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Starting with one lemonade stand in 2000, Alexandra “Alex” Scott’s brave and industrious spirit propelled her to raise $1 million toward a world without pediatric cancer before she passed away at age 8. Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) was established by her parents to continue Alex’s movement, and it has raised more than $250 million supporting innovative research and care for children diagnosed with cancer. Recent grant awards from ALSF totaling more than $1.2 million support Dana-Farber Cancer Institute investigators in pursuing cutting-edge research to address urgent needs in pediatric solid and blood cancers.

Mimi Bandopadhayay, MBBS, PhD, received the “A” Award Grant to pursue her research on different genetic changes that drive pediatric high-grade gliomas when they occur together with mutations to histone proteins. Bandopadhayay will use genomic methods to understand the mechanisms underlying these effects and the interplay of different histone mutations, with the goal of developing novel therapies for pediatric high-grade gliomas and applying the insights gained through this research across cancers.

Jessica Tsai, MD, PhD, a postdoctoral research fellow in the Bandopadhayay lab, received a Young Investigator Award to build on her discovery that almost one in 10 diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas have elevated levels of the FOXR2 protein. FOXR2 accelerates cancer growth and may have potential as a new target for cancer treatment. With this grant, Tsai will analyze how FOXR2 leads to cancer formation with an eye towards identifying treatments for these currently incurable brain tumors.

Two grants were awarded to Loren Walensky, MD, PhD, to support his efforts to advance next-generation therapies for treatment-resistant childhood cancers. The first will support work to move a triple-action agent known as a stapled peptide degrader from the laboratory to the bedside with the potential to target several cancer-driving pathways at once in a broad spectrum of pediatric cancers. The second will help Walensky continue developing stapled BH3 peptides to overcome resistance to venetoclax, a drug whose use is rapidly expanding in childhood and adult blood cancers to trigger cell death in tumor cells.

Co-funded by ALSF and the RUNX1 Foundation, an Early Career Investigator Grant was awarded to Waihay Wong, MD, PhD, to support his study of how inflammatory proteins contribute to the immune response in blood cells lacking normal RUNX1 function. Wong is focusing on the protein NLRP3 to determine whether inhibiting its action could stop harmful inflammation and the development of blood cancers.

“Bringing hope to children diagnosed with cancer and their families requires dedication to research over many years,” said Liz Scott, co-executive director of ALSF. “This is why we believe in funding early career scientists as well as established investigators and why we continue partnering with Dana-Farber in pursuit of therapies that will be more innovative and impactful than ever before.”

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The V Foundation for Cancer Research, which was founded in 1993 by ESPN and legendary basketball coach Jim Valvano to fund cancer research, has awarded three Dana-Farber scientists grants totaling $1 million to study various aspects of cancer development.

With a V Foundation Translational Grant, Irene Ghobrial, MD, director of the Clinical Investigator Research Program and a Lavine Family Chair for Preventative Cancer Therapies at Dana-Farber, is defining the role of the immune microenvironment in multiple myeloma precursor conditions.

Multiple myeloma is often preceded by asymptomatic precursor conditions that can progress into overt disease; however, there are no effective therapies to prevent disease progression, and most patients do not receive treatment until they actually develop cancer.

In order to treat patients before they become symptomatic, Ghobrial’s study aims to reveal immune biomarkers that predict disease progression and identify patients who will likely progress early. She and her colleagues are examining how patients’ immune systems change in response to treatments that target immune cells. These studies will support the development of new treatments that may slow or altogether stop progression of precursor conditions.

“The current standard of care for patients with myeloma precursors is to ‘watch and wait’ until they progress to advanced-stage disease, at which point they may already suffer irreversible effects from the disease,” said Ghobrial. “I am grateful for the V Foundation’s support of our efforts to develop novel immunotherapies to stop these precursors from ever becoming active myeloma.”

In addition, Volker Hovestadt, PhD, and Amy Si-Ying Lee, PhD, each received V Scholar Grants from the foundation, which support young faculty early in their research careers.

Hovestadt is using genomic and computational techniques to study microRNAs—small molecules that bind to messenger RNA and block it from making proteins—across different types of childhood brain cancers. His research may result in a better understanding of how microRNAs cause brain cancers and lead to better treatments for children with these tumors.

Lee’s work focuses on how translation, the process by which genetic material is converted from RNA into proteins, is regulated in cancer cells. She is studying a protein complex known as eIF3, which is overexpressed in several cancers and leads to poor prognosis, to determine whether it contributes to the translation of cancer-causing proteins and evaluate its potential as a therapeutic target.

“From increasing our understanding of cancer biology to targeted therapies, these projects show immense potential to make a significant impact in the cancer space. We applaud these scientists at Dana-Farber and are proud to work with them to save lives and create hope for patients,” said V Foundation CEO Shane Jacobson.

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Despite incredible scientific progress year in and year out, 600,000 Americans and eight million people worldwide still die from cancer each year. This is the statistic that caught the attention of Steve and Joan Clark during the announcement of The Dana-Farber Campaign in May 2021 and inspired their $4 million gift to establish the first two High Pointe Investigatorships in Gastrointestinal Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

“This is 2022 and the statistics related to cancer deaths continue to be alarming,” said Steve Clark. “After all these years and the remarkable scientific advancements, these are staggering statistics, and they cannot be ignored. It is always a matter of following the numbers and, although these numbers are incredibly discouraging, it demonstrates the dire need to continue to ramp up our attack on this disease.”

The gift from the Clarks will support mid-career investigators within the Center for Gastrointestinal Oncology, in perpetuity. The center is an international leader in the development of novel treatments for patients with gastrointestinal cancers, including cancers of the esophagus, stomach, pancreas, bile duct, gallbladder, liver, colon, and rectum. The researchers who earn High Pointe Investigatorships will have an opportunity to expand the incredible research already taking place at Dana-Farber. Currently, patients have access to 1,100 clinical trials, which represent a substantial, potential opportunity for new therapeutics, new treatments, and possibly new cures. As the knowledge base increases, the researchers at Dana-Farber will also continue to make strides in prevention and early cancer detection.

“I am extremely honored that Steve and Joan Clark continue to support the Center for Gastrointestinal Oncology,” said Brian Wolpin, MD, MPH, chief of the Division of Gastrointestinal Oncology and the Robert T. and Judith B. Hale Chair in Pancreatic Cancer at Dana-Farber. “The Clarks have repeatedly risen to the occasion to propel real momentum in gastrointestinal cancer research. These investigatorships will allow for our retention of the most brilliant minds in cancer research, while also helping with our recruitment of new faculty in areas of scientific need.”

The Clarks’ son was diagnosed with gastrointestinal cancer several years ago. This personal experience, as well as the distressing statistics related to gastrointestinal cancer mortality rates, has inspired the family’s giving to Dana-Farber. “We are incredibly blessed to be able to further this cause in this meaningful way,” said Steve Clark. “We encourage others to consider participating within their own respective means. If this community of supporters comes together, some miraculous achievements may be accomplished. The needs are huge, and we must attempt to meet this challenge.”

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Institute Trustees and longtime supporters Debbie and Bob First are focused on a singular goal: early detection of cancer to provide more opportunities for cures. Their latest gift of $1 million continues to propel Dana-Farber toward that objective and supports The Dana-Farber Campaign through investments in revolutionary science and essential opportunities.

Debbie and Bob’s cancer journey, and their passionate commitment to early detection, began in 1977 when Debbie was diagnosed with ovarian cancer as a young professional and working parent. At the time conventional wisdom was that the disease would be fatal. Through a very dear friend, Bob received a call from the late David Livingston, MD, at Dana-Farber who became Debbie’s oncologist. From that point forward, very little about Debbie’s experience would be conventional. Livingston started Debbie on a non-traditional protocol— there was no standard treatment at the time for her illness—and his optimism and kind nature were the perfect complement to Debbie’s positive mindset. “David gave me the confidence to know my life was going to be OK,” said Debbie. “I’m here today because of him.”

Then, in 1985, Livingston called Bob to tell him that something very nice was about to happen to him—an invitation to join Dana-Farber’s Board of Trustees. Debbie would join Bob as a Trustee in 2009, and she is also a member of the Executive Council of the Susan F. Smith Center for Women's Cancers at Dana-Farber.

The Firsts have been Dana-Farber donors for more than three decades. “It is a privilege to give back to an organization that is wide open to new ideas and a fresh look,” said Bob. The Firsts know personally how important early detection is to successful outcomes. Bob is a prostate cancer survivor and was also treated at Dana-Farber. Their recent gift supports ovarian cancer early detection, prostate cancer early detection, and the Institute’s top priorities via the Presidential Initiatives Fund.

“Thanks to Bob and Debbie’s tenacity and vision all these years, what was once a dream—a reliable diagnostic blood test—is closer than ever,” said Dipanjan Chowdhury, PhD, who is the lead investigator in the development of the first-ever blood serum microRNA detection tool for ovarian cancer. “Their stalwart support has been instrumental to our progress and I am deeply grateful for their partnership.” For this portion of their gift, the Firsts are equally supporting Chowdhury and Kevin Elias, MD, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, who are collaborating on this work.

“So many of our highest ideals at Dana-Farber, like the value of collaboration and the importance of investing in early career scientists, evolved over the years because of committed individuals like Debbie and Bob who believed in us and challenged us to think in new ways,” said Laurie H. Glimcher, MD, president and CEO of Dana-Farber and the Richard and Susan Smith Professor of Medicine.

“It has been exciting to be engaged with an organization like Dana-Farber that isn’t satisfied with the status quo,” said Debbie.

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A gift of $1 million from Institute Trustee Winnie W. Wong, PhD, and Arthur Cheng, ScD, will go towards advancing the careers of early career investigators through the Wong Family Awards in Translational Oncology. The couple first established the Wong Family Awards in 2011, and with this most recent gift, they have given a total of $5.5 million on behalf of their family to endow these awards at Dana-Farber.

As one of three cancer survivors in her family, Wong said that a top priority for her and her husband was fulfilling unmet needs for cancers that don’t yet have cures. “I insisted on these awards being for translational research—I think something that has clinical needs in mind, and an understanding of the disease mechanisms, gets us closer to discovery of new medicines,” said Wong. “That’s very important, because basic science is in one camp, and clinical research is in another camp, and there has to be a way to bridge those two.”

They also see these awards as a crucial way to invest in the next generation of oncology researchers. With her background in pharmaceutical research as well as immunology, Wong understands firsthand the obstacles that come with traditional government funding for research. “I view this as an opportunity to try out new ideas and give the young researchers a chance to think outside the box,” she said.

The awards are given on a yearly basis and include project salary support to encourage young investigators to pursue innovative projects in clinical and/or translational oncology, biotechnology development, precision medicine, or immunotherapy approaches. They are overseen by the Institute’s Chief Clinical Research Officer Jeffrey Meyerhardt, MD, MPH, FASCO, in consultation with Chief Scientific Officer Kevin Haigis, PhD.

“It is so important that we encourage our early career investigators to pursue novel ideas, and the Wong Family Awards provide a pathway to do just that,” said Meyerhardt, who is also the Douglas Gray Woodruff Chair in Colorectal Cancer Research at Dana-Farber. “It’s a very competitive process every year, and our recipients are excited to share their findings and progress with Winnie and Arthur and thank them for supporting their innovative ideas.”

“Over the past 10 years, the Wong Family Awards have helped jumpstart the careers of many investigators, who have gone on to make their mark in the field of cancer research,” said Haigis. “Winnie and Arthur’s visionary investment is helping transform the future of cancer research and care, while also training the next generation of oncologists to drive that future.”

Wong looks forward to meeting with the new recipients every year and hearing about the projects they are working on—she always learns something new about technical advances happening in the field and where the new frontiers of research are. Above all, she encourages the investigators to continue being creative and taking risks. “New ideas deserve a chance,” said Wong. “They don’t always succeed but they deserve a chance to get tested.”

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For Meg and Don Steiner, philanthropy is a passion. “All people who are philanthropic understand the feeling of pleasure and delight from supporting something they believe in,” says Meg.

Recently, the Steiners took great pleasure in making a gift of $1 million to The Dana-Farber Campaign in support of cancer research under the direction of their friend and neighbor Stephen Sallan, MD, Dana-Farber’s chief of staff emeritus, and Institute physician David Fisher, MD. The funds will be applied at the discretion of both physician-scientists to advance promising research through the lens of their specialties—pediatric and adult blood cancers.

The Steiners have lost loved ones to blood cancers and, over the years, have come to know Fisher, who specializes in this area. They have a keen interest in advancing research that will lead to new, more effective treatments and are encouraged by the breakthroughs in cancer medicine over the last decade. They feel that their support can help the greatest number of patients by furthering cutting-edge research.

“We invest in Dana-Farber because of the high likelihood of success,” says Don. “The most impactful projects today may not be the most impactful projects three years from now. We trust Drs. Sallan and Fisher to use these funds to support research projects that are gaining traction and have the best chance of helping patients.”

“David and I are so grateful to have this support from our dear friends, Meg and Don,” says Sallan, who is also the Quick Family Chair in Pediatric Oncology at Dana-Farber. “At the Institute, we have a dual focus on adult and pediatric cancer research, which uniquely positions us to translate findings from studies of genetically simpler pediatric cancers to more complex adult cancers. Our research has the potential to transform the way we treat cancer and greatly expand targeted treatment options— ultimately for both children and adults.”

Savvy philanthropists, the Steiners give to Dana-Farber and other nonprofits through their donor-advised fund—a philanthropic investment account that provides an immediate tax benefit and enables donors to increase their charitable giving potential as their investment grows. “We get a wonderful feeling about our donor-advised fund,” Don says. “We’ve already given the money away, so it’s no longer ours—we just get to decide where it will have the greatest impact.”

The couple, who has supported the Institute for many years, also joined the Dana-Farber Society by making a provision for Dana-Farber in their will. Meg adds, however, “We would rather do more while we’re alive and while others are alive who might benefit from this work. With a donor-advised fund, we have the pleasure of watching Dana-Farber benefit from our dollars now.”

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Elena Driscoll was always healthy. So in late 2019, when she began experiencing symptoms like bloating and fatigue, her doctors insisted it was symptoms of menopause. As the symptoms worsened, Elena sensed something more was going on, and in early 2020, she was diagnosed with stage III ovarian cancer.

Elena’s story is a familiar one for many women diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The disease is often difficult to diagnose in its earliest stages because symptoms can be vague or similar to those of common conditions, like menopause.

“I think it’s important for us to advocate for ourselves, to know our bodies, and know when we feel something is not right,” said Elena. “I want to share my story to help people be more aware, and to advance the pursuit of treatments that can improve outcomes for patients facing this disease.”

That drive to make a difference inspired Elena and her husband, Tom, to give $1 million in support of ovarian cancer research under the direction of Elena’s doctor, Ursula Matulonis, MD, chief of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology and the Brock-Wilson Family Chair at Dana-Farber. The funds will support research into natural killer (NK) cellular therapies for ovarian cancer, a promising new avenue of immunotherapy being pursued by Dana-Farber’s Rizwan Romee, MD.

“From what we’ve learned, NK cellular therapy seems to be a very promising treatment option,” said Tom Driscoll. “We wanted to provide funding that jumpstarts novel and promising areas of ovarian cancer research—areas that may be underfunded. We feel that Romee’s work is clearly something that will advance the field and improve outcomes.”

NK cells demolish diseased cells and can eliminate cancer circulating in the body—but they are short-lived and often do not “remember” or recognize cancer cells to strike again. In 2012, Romee and his colleagues were the first to generate an immune response in human NK cells by employing lab-modified cytokine induced memory-like (CIML) NK cells, which are enhanced to gain memory function, proliferate inside the body, and persist longer than standard NK cells.

“This type of therapy has already shown promise in other forms of cancer,” said Romee, who serves as director of the Haploidentical Donor Transplantation Program at Dana-Farber. “Now, thanks in part to funding from the Driscolls, my team is working closely with Dr. Matulonis to test this therapy for use against recurrent high-grade ovarian cancer.”

“I am so grateful to the Driscolls for supporting this important project, which will have a significant and lasting impact on patients facing ovarian cancer,” said Matulonis. “Their incredibly generous gift enables us to continue improving the quality, breadth, and durability of urgently needed treatment options for this cancer.”

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Founded in 1982, the G. Harold and Leila Y. Mathers Foundation aims to advance knowledge in life sciences by sponsoring scientific research that will benefit mankind. As investigative methodologies, technologies, and tools have advanced, The Mathers Foundation embraces innovative translational research for a better future.

The Mathers Foundation recently awarded grants totaling $2.16 million to Dana-Farber’s Eric Fischer, PhD; Amy Si-Ying Lee, PhD; and Pere Puigserver, PhD, to advance key research into structural biology, translation regulation, and cell biology and mitochondrial medicine.

Supported by the foundation, Fischer will pursue research into structural mechanistic understanding of HUWE1 (a member of the HECT family of ubiquitin ligase), a master regulator of the cellular stress response that plays a role in carcinogenesis, as well as a role in developing resistance to cancer therapies. Though little is known about how HUWE1 exerts its critical function, Fischer will work to establish a molecular understanding and shed light on how the understudied class of HECT ubiquitin ligases work, ultimately providing the basis for future efforts to develop novel anti-cancer therapeutics.

Lee’s research concerns the fundamental understanding of the correlation between cellular state, gene regulation, and the ribosome. While all cells in the human body contain the same genetic information, every cell has its own role and function from organ development to responding to environmental cues. The ribosome plays a key role in a process known as translation, in which genetic material is decoded to create new proteins. With this funding, Lee will study whether ribosome composition can be regulated by the cell in response to cellular stresses, and how ribosome composition provides a new mechanism by which the cell controls gene expression. Her work will close a critical gap in the understanding of gene expression, as well as specialized translational control during multiple developmental and environmental contexts.

Puigserver will address an unsolved problem in cell biology: the principles that govern somatic mitochondrial pathogenic heteroplasmy. Mitochondrial heteroplasmy defines the severity of cellular and tissue damage in mitochondrial diseases with mutations in the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). These mtDNA mutations and mitochondrial failures occur in aging; cardiomyopathies and heart failure; cancer; and metabolic and degenerative diseases such as obesity, diabetes, Parkinson's, or Alzheimer's diseases.

“Right now, very little is known about the cellular mechanisms that balance levels of pathogenic and healthy mitochondria in somatic cells, creating a need for heightened research in this area,” said Puigserver. “This funding from The Mathers Foundation will help me advance the understanding of basic human biology and the causes of genetic variation of mitochondrial organelles that leads to severe tissue damage, laying the important groundwork for new therapeutics for metabolic and degenerative diseases.”

“The Mathers Foundation is highly supportive of innovative, potentially transformative projects in the basic life sciences and translational medical research. These three projects— in gene expression, in structural biology, and with mitochondrial organelles—share that common vision and commitment,” said Zach Handelman, director of operations at The Mathers Foundation. “We’re proud to support the doctors at Dana-Farber in their journeys to change the world of cancer.”

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The Commonwealth Foundation for Cancer Research has pledged $25 million to the Bridge Project, a collaborative research program of Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center (DF/HCC) and the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT, to transform drug discovery and early stage development.

As part of this commitment to the Bridge Project, the Commonwealth Foundation gift will propel “Expansion Grants,” which fund projects being readied for clinical testing or that are already in the clinic. It will also place a significant focus on projects that accelerate therapeutic drug development, stimulating research on traditionally challenging classes of cancer drug targets and/or on more conventional targets found in rarer forms of cancer.

The gift builds on a previous investment of $20 million in 2015 from the Commonwealth Foundation to the Bridge Project. To amplify the impact of this new gift, DF/HCC and MIT will match these funds over the next five years, resulting in a combined $50 million expansion of the Bridge Project. The matching pledge has already resulted in a gift of $8 million from an anonymous donor.

The Bridge Project, launched in 2011, funds cross-institutional and interdisciplinary teams of cancer scientists, engineers, and clinicians to solve long-standing problems in the most intractable cancers. The program was designed to integrate advanced cancer science research at both institutions by leveraging MIT’s strengths in basic cancer research and bioengineering, and DF/HCC’s strengths in clinical cancer research and cancer care. As such, each team is co-led by at least one MIT investigator and one DF/HCC investigator.

The Bridge Project links the cancer research efforts of MIT and DF/ HCC—Massachusetts’ two National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer centers. The Koch Institute is an NCI-designated basic laboratory cancer center, and DF/HCC is an NCIdesignated comprehensive cancer center that unites the cancer research efforts of Harvard’s five principal affiliated hospitals and two health science schools.

“We are deeply appreciative to the Commonwealth Foundation and the Goodwin Family for their continuing generosity. Their commitment is a reflection of the world-class innovation taking place through the Bridge Project, a collaboration that is changing lives through science,” said Laurie H. Glimcher, MD, president and CEO, Dana-Farber, and director, DF/HCC. “This support will fund high-impact research and drug development to offer new solutions to patients.”

“We are very proud to continue our support of the Bridge Project, which brings together the brightest minds in cancer research and care to develop new approaches and therapeutics for patients,” said Bill Goodwin, chair of the Commonwealth Foundation for Cancer Research. “Through this contribution, we hope to amplify our impact by inspiring other families to support this innovative, collaborative effort.”

The Bridge Project has been led by Tyler Jacks, PhD, founding director of the Koch Institute and the David H. Koch Professor of Biology at MIT; and David Livingston, MD, the Charles A. Dana Chair in Human Cancer Genetics at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Emil Frei III, MD, Distinguished Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, who passed away unexpectedly on October 17, 2021. His loss is felt deeply across the entire cancer research community, and Dana-Farber leadership remains committed to the Bridge Project and the impactful, collaborative science that is part of Dr. Livingston’s legacy.

“We very much look forward to the opportunities that the Commonwealth Foundation’s new gift creates to focus on direct translational studies and developing novel treatments,” said Jacks. “Their support, along with contributions they have inspired others to make, have been essential to our formation of a highly effective Greater Boston network for applying basic research and technological advances to clinical questions and challenges.”

“Since 2011, the Bridge Project has enabled us to bring together the best of cancer science and engineering, funding dozens of multidisciplinary teams that have made great strides in innovative cancer research,” said Livingston before his passing. “We thank the Commonwealth Foundation for their transformative contribution and continued partnership as we continue to rapidly develop new ways to improve outcomes for cancer patients.”

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A recent $10 million commitment by The Rossy Foundation to establish the David Liposarcoma Research Initiative aims to bring hope to liposarcoma patients worldwide. This five-year initiative will support groundbreaking research into liposarcoma at Dana-Farber and partner institutions to revolutionize treatment of this rare, underfunded, and understudied disease. This investment represents The Rossy Foundation’s largest commitment to Dana-Farber and the most support dedicated to liposarcoma in the Institute’s history. The Rossy Foundation and KBF CANADA have partnered to fund the first phase of the initiative, thanks to the generosity of The Rossy Foundation.

Cancers known as sarcomas develop from stem cells and connective tissues such as muscle, fat, and bone that hold the body together. Since sarcomas are rare—they account for about 1% of cancers in adults—investment in liposarcoma research has been limited. Recent improvements in technology and an increasing number of available patient samples have led to a growing molecular understanding of liposarcoma and point to new targets for therapy, and this support will push this research forward.

This initiative will focus on collaborations among several departments at Dana-Farber and be led by George Demetri, MD, director of the Sarcoma Center, senior vice president for Experimental Therapeutics, and Quick Family Chair in Medical Oncology at Dana-Farber. He and his colleagues are leading a broad spectrum of studies to better understand this disease, unleash the immune system against it, overcome drug resistance, and advance novel therapies.

“The visionary and forward-looking support from The Rossy Foundation will greatly enhance our understanding of the underlying biology, genomics, epigenetics, immunologic and mechanistic characteristics of liposarcomas,” said Demetri. “It is our hope that the new research collaborations made possible by this gift will ultimately lead to better therapeutic options for patients diagnosed with this rare disease.”

“We appreciate The Rossy Foundation’s very generous commitment, as well as their recognition of the strength of Dana-Farber’s exceptional portfolio of basic science and clinical research programs to mobilize our world-class Sarcoma Center,” said Dana-Farber President and CEO Laurie H. Glimcher, MD.

The David Liposarcoma Research Initiative brings together teams of 11 principal investigators from four institutions—Dana-Farber, Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard—to collaborate within the cycle of discovery, validation, and clinical testing. Dana-Farber will be the lead and coordinating institution.

“The Rossy Foundation is proud to make this meaningful contribution toward better treatments for liposarcoma, which affects more than 4,000 patients in the United States and Canada every year,” said Gregory J. David, vice-chair of The Rossy Foundation. “The David Liposarcoma Research Initiative, under the direction of Dr. George Demetri, will drive breakthroughs that not only transform the landscape of liposarcoma research, but most importantly help extend and enhance the lives of patients across the globe.”

This initiative will be overseen by an international Scientific Advisory Board. In October 2022, The David Liposarcoma Research Initiative International Scientific Symposium in basic, translational, and clinical liposarcoma research will convene as an opportunity for the team to share results, guide the development of clinical trials in years three through five, and stimulate new partnerships in this field.

The Rossy Foundation, based in Montreal, funds initiatives in health care, including cancer research, as well as mental health, civic engagement, education, and the arts. KBF CANADA works with Canadian donors to promote and implement international charitable projects all over the world. KBF CANADA is part of the KBF Family (KBF BRUSSELS, KBF US, KBF CANADA, Give2Asia), and is registered with the Canada Revenue Agency as a charitable organization. This commitment supports The Dana-Farber Campaign, an ambitious $2 billion multi-year fundraising effort that will accelerate success and help Dana-Farber defy cancer through investments in revolutionary science, extraordinary care, exceptional expertise, and essential opportunities.

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Andrew Kaczynski and Rachel Ensign’s lives were upended in September 2020 when their baby daughter, Francesca, was diagnosed with atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor (ATRT), one of the most malignant and aggressive of all brain tumors that affect infants. The family moved from New York to Boston so that Francesca, affectionately called “Beans” by her parents, could receive treatment at Dana-Farber/ Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorder Center.

Tragically, on Christmas Eve, a few months after her diagnosis, Francesca died. Andrew and Rachel, both journalists, had used social media to share their family’s story during Francesca’s treatment and after her passing. Their candor and vulnerability were matched only by Beans’ joy at life and bravery in the face of her cancer.

“We miss Francesca tremendously every day,” said her mom and dad. “We will always be her parents and our efforts to fight childhood cancer are a way of staying true to our responsibility to take care of her.”

The Team Beans fundraising movement got a boost when Francesca’s story caught the attention of Danielle Pourbaix, a rider in the PMC Winter Cycle, the stationary cycling event at Fenway Park that kicks off fundraising each year for the Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC). Though she had never met the family, Danielle was inspired to reach out to Andrew and Rachel for permission to ride the Winter Cycle in Francesca’s honor.

Overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from family, friends, and even strangers, Andrew and Rachel established the Team Beans Infant Brain Tumor Fund at Dana-Farber to maximize the impact of gifts made in Francesca’s memory. With more than $1.5 million raised to date, the Team Beans Fund is supporting Dana-Farber’s new Infant Brain Tumor Program within the Pediatric Brain Tumor Center at Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center. This specialized, comprehensive research and clinical program spans multiple disciplines—cancer biology, computational biology, neuro-oncology, neuropathology, neurosurgery, and more—and is laser-focused on the treatment and care of the youngest of children.

“Support from Team Beans was instrumental in our ability to launch the new Infant Brain Tumor Program,” said Susan Chi, MD, deputy director of Pediatric Neuro-Oncology. “Treatments are currently limited for ATRT and other malignant and aggressive brain tumors that affect infants—but we hope to change that.”

The Team Beans movement continues to gain momentum. Andrew participated in the PMC as a first-time rider in August 2021 alongside 17 other riders who comprised Team Beans, collectively raising more than $1.1 million through both Pourbaix’s PMC Winter Cycle and Team Beans’ PMC fundraising efforts. The PMC donates 100% of every rider-raised dollar to Dana-Farber and is its largest single contributor, accounting for 55% of the Jimmy Fund’s revenue. Andrew also ran the 2021 Boston Marathon®, raising $200,000 for Team Beans, and has no plans to stop. “Francesca will not get to live the life she should have. She should have been able to build her own story and her own legacy, but Rachel and I will build her legacy for her through the Team Beans Infant Brain Tumor Fund,” said Andrew.

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For over 10 years, Reverend Priscilla Lawrence and Patrick MeLampy have been invaluable supporters to Dana-Farber’s mission and success through support of various Jimmy Fund initiatives. In addition, Lawrence and her brother, Mark, also serve as trustees of the Oliver and Jennie Donaldson Trust, and were key in advocating for Dana-Farber to apply for grants from the trust. As a result, Dana-Farber was awarded funding for two projects, including a gift to the PROMISE study—a Dana-Farber-led screening study of individuals at high-risk of precursor conditions of multiple myeloma. Priscilla’s mother passed from the disease and a close friend of the couple is undergoing treatment at Dana-Farber for it as well.

More recently, Priscilla and Patrick furthered their support with a generous gift to The Dana-Farber Campaign, to establish the Lawrence-MeLampy Fund for Multiple Myeloma Research.

The fund will advance research led by Irene Ghobrial, MD, in the Center for Prevention of Progression of Blood Cancers (CPOP) within the Jerome Lipper Center for Multiple Myeloma. Ghobrial serves as director of CPOP, as well as director of translational research in the department of Multiple Myeloma and a Lavine Family Chair for Preventative Cancer Therapies at Dana-Farber.

With multiple myeloma, most patients have one or two precursor conditions, called monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) or smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM), prior to progression of the disease. CPOP hopes to gather more data to inform early detection and treatment strategies through national studies of large groups of healthy patients to gather a better understanding of the molecular markers that prevent disease progression. In addition to providing funding, Priscilla is also a participant in this study.

“To be able to stop this disease before it leads to pain and more serious damage would be incredible,” said Priscilla.

“Priscilla and Patrick’s generous gift and commitment to my research is incredibly important. This funding will be crucial to support research that will strengthen our ability to better understand these markers and will help us provide a road-map of therapeutic options that will make multiple myeloma a preventable or possibly curable disease,” said Ghobrial.

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The Boston Marathon® Jimmy Fund Walk: Your Way presented by Hyundai marked its second year as a virtual event on Sunday, October 3, by raising more than $6.9 million for Dana-Farber. To keep the thousands of participants safe, the event was once again “Your Way”: instead of walking the historic Boston Marathon® course, participants each walked in a location of their choosing, such as their own neighborhood, a local park, a town walking path, or wherever worked for them.

The Jimmy Fund Walk, Dana-Farber and the Jimmy Fund’s signature event, has raised more than $155 million in its 33-year history, and the flexibility of the Your Way format meant even more walkers from outside the Boston area could contribute to that tremendous total. In 2021, more than 6,100 participants defied cancer by walking in 42 states and 9 countries, all for the shared goal of supporting Dana-Farber’s revolutionary science, extraordinary care, exceptional expertise, and essential opportunities.

Team Beyond CRC, led by David Thau and Brigette Arsenault, walked together in Boston’s Fenway neighborhood. The team walked a 5K to a local restaurant where they celebrated their success together outside. Beyond CRC team members are united around raising awareness and funds to support Dana-Farber’s Young-Onset Colorectal Cancer Center, which is led by Kimmie Ng, MD, MPH. The team is comprised of patients, survivors, caregivers, and medical professionals.

“The creation of the Young-Onset Colorectal Cancer Center was made possible by philanthropy and would not be where it is today without the support of events like the Jimmy Fund Walk,” said Thau. “So thank you to all of our walkers and donors!”

Thau was diagnosed with colon cancer at the age of 34 and travels to Dana-Farber from Washington, D.C., for treatment. Raising more than $127,000, Thau is the top fundraiser for the 2021 Jimmy Fund Walk.

Ellen Caliendo, co-captain of the Ovarian Cancer Brigade, celebrated her 30th year with the Jimmy Fund Walk in 2021. A friend of Caliendo’s, and her friend’s mother, both lost their battles with ovarian cancer, inspiring Caliendo to raise money and awareness for ovarian cancer research through the Jimmy Fund Walk. Caliendo says she never saw herself as a fundraiser, but knowing the impact the money has on the work of Dana-Farber has allowed her to become more confident raising funds.

“I keep reminding myself that I’m not asking for me,” says Caliendo. “I’m asking people to help save lives, and that gives me the motivation.”

Christine Carberry is another walker who got creative with her walk. Carberry, of team Purple Striders, walked back-to-back half marathons. Carberry completed her first half marathon in Durham, N.H., and the second with her co-captain, Sarah Liziewski, in Kennebunk, Maine.

Carberry walks in memory of her husband, Timothy, who passed away in 2018 from pancreatic cancer. Carberry says the Jimmy Fund Walk provided her with motivation to keep moving forward and to turn her loss into something good.

“Dana-Farber played an important role in our cancer journey, and it was the first place I looked for an event that would help me give back in memory of my husband,” Carberry said. “I have done many long-distance walks, so walking a full marathon was a perfect fit and a new challenge.”

The entire Jimmy Fund Walk community, in turn, plays an important role in The Dana-Farber Campaign, providing essential funds that accelerate the Institute’s mission to prevent, treat, and defy cancer for patients everywhere.

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When Jane and Fred Jamieson decided to give $1 million to The Dana-Farber Campaign last year, it was the latest example in a long history of the Jamieson Family supporting the Institute’s work in women’s cancers. Jane, an Institute Trustee since 2000, has seen Dana-Farber grow in leaps and bounds over the years, and is especially following the work happening at the Susan F. Smith Center for Women’s Cancers.

The Susan F. Smith Center for Women’s Cancers was the vision of the late Susan F. Smith, an Institute Trustee and steady force behind an effort to unite the clinical and research strengths of Dana-Farber’s breast and gynecologic cancer programs and increase opportunities for scientific collaboration and translational research. When Jane first became acquainted with Dana-Farber in 1997, one of the first people she met was Eric P. Winer, MD, who was at that time the chief of the Division of Breast Oncology at the Smith Center, and recently stepped down as chief clinical development officer, senior vice president of medical affairs, and Thompson Chair in Breast Cancer Research at Dana-Farber. Jane’s conversations with Winer about the pressing need for more research inspired her first gift to Dana-Farber and women’s cancers.

That first interaction sparked a decades-long partnership with Dana-Farber. Jane is one of the founding co-chairs of the Susan F. Smith Center Executive Council, which supports the Smith Center’s work through education, fundraising, and advocacy initiatives. The center has since grown into one of the most comprehensive and advanced programs of its kind, pushing the frontier of research by developing innovative therapies and setting cancer care standards for physicians across the globe.

This latest gift establishes the Jamieson Family Fund for Early Career Breast Cancer Researchers, which will go towards training researchers starting out in their careers. Jane wanted to ensure this gift would support the Smith Center’s faculty. “I have had the opportunity to see the team I met 10 to 15 years ago mature and develop into fantastic clinicians and researchers— into a world-class team,” said Jamieson. “Part of their mission is to support the next generation, and I am hoping this gift will help to do just that.” Supporting and developing exceptional expertise is central to the Institute’s mission and is a key strategic priority of The Dana-Farber Campaign.

Every year, two early career researchers will be selected to receive funding from the Jamieson Family Fund for their innovative research in women’s cancers. “I am extraordinarily appreciative and grateful for Jane’s partnership and friendship over the years,” said Winer. “This gift from Jane and Fred will support our pipeline of physician-scientists and the innovative work—often high-risk, high-reward investigations—they will undertake to change the future of breast cancer.”

When talking about her long history with Dana-Farber, Jane reflects on how exciting it has been to watch the Smith Center evolve. She especially values the opportunity she had to work with Susan Smith. “One thing I appreciated about Mrs. Smith is that she never lost her passion and commitment,” she said. “She was always focused on the future.”

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