Donor Recognition

With generous community support, the second annual Dana-Farber and Jimmy Fund Giving Day raised an incredible $1.17 million, more than double the 2020 total. Making the milestone possible was an anonymous Institute Trustee who matched all gifts up to $250,000, several donors who stepped up with large donations, and even a King—a pediatric patient at Dana-Farber’s Jimmy Fund Clinic who shared his story of what Dana-Farber has meant to him and his family. Giving Day, held on May 26, closely followed the public announcement of The Dana-Farber Campaign the previous week, with its rallying cry to “Defy Cancer.” It marked the launch of the Dana-Farber Defy Cancer Fund, which provided motivation and purpose for more than 3,700 donors from across the country to offer their financial support to the strategic priorities of The Dana-Farber Campaign: Revolutionary Science, Extraordinary Care, Exceptional Expertise, and Essential Opportunities.

Leading up to Giving Day and throughout May 26, patients shared stories via email and social media, demonstrating the need for support but also the excellence of the care and research at Dana-Farber. King, for example, who is still in treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia with an excellent prognosis, was particularly inspiring and emotional for some donors. During the effort, his mother, Nasharis, told the community, “I look at my son and think about all he has been through already. I admire him. He’s my hero. These children are strong and resilient. They are our future.”

The message from a pediatric cancer patient like King and his family touched many. Loyal supporters Arthur and Denise Katsaros committed $100,000 to Giving Day to help fulfill the Defy Cancer Fund match. “Our family was touched by pediatric cancer a number of years ago,” commented Arthur.  “We understand the toll it takes on families and we’re so pleased we are able to help others through Dana-Farber.”

Another story that encouraged the community to make generous gifts to Dana-Farber was that of Jillian, who in 2016 completed treatment for stage IIB Hodgkin lymphoma at Dana-Farber. “Defying cancer means being proud of myself,” she explained. “It took me a long time to be able to share my cancer story with others.”

The unsurpassed generosity of the community of donors will enable Dana-Farber to pursue innovative early stage research; speed new drugs into clinical trials; maintain a world-class research and clinical team; increase access to care and reduce disparities; meet unanticipated needs, such as those imposed by COVID-19; and even support special programs that address the physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual needs of patients and families.

The generosity of our donors during Giving Day will go a long way in achieving The Dana-Farber Campaign’s important quest to defy cancer.

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For Institute Trustee Michael Eisenson, convincing people that Dana-Farber is a worthy place to invest time and resources comes easily. As Chair of The Dana-Farber Campaign, he is quick to spread the word to friends and loved ones, including his cousin Neil Mellen.

Responding to the opportunity, the Mellen and Eisenson Family made a generous gift of more than $3 million to bolster The Dana-Farber Campaign, with a significant portion of the gift supporting the newly launched Center for BRCA and Related Genes—a program area where Neil and Michael felt they could make the biggest impact on several aims of the campaign.

“In speaking with senior leadership, we learned that we are in the very early innings of promising work to understand the genetic bases of many types of cancers, and in using that understanding to create earlier diagnostics and more effective approaches to therapy,” said Michael. “This center, which appears to be so far unique in the U.S., seemed like a particularly high-impact opportunity to us.”

The center is of particular significance to Neil and Michael, who both lost close family members to cancer at young ages. Michael’s mother passed away in her 40s, and Neil’s daughter in her 50s. Their gift establishes the Nancy Ann Mellen Fund for Research and Clinical Trial Support, as well as The Mellen and Eisenson Family endowed fund that will provide ongoing support for this program in perpetuity. The funds will be managed under the direction of Panos Konstantinopoulos, MD, PhD, director of translational research in Gynecologic Oncology, and Judy Garber, MD, MPH, chief of the Division of Cancer Genetics and Prevention and the Susan F. Smith Chair at Dana-Farber. Konstantinopoulos and Garber serve with Dipanjan Chowdhury, PhD, as co-directors of the BRCA Center.

The gift also includes a significant investment in early career researchers through the David Livingston Early Career Investigator Awards, in honor of Michael’s close friend David Livingston, MD, who has built a legacy of mentoring early career physician-scientists at Dana-Farber over the course of 50 years. Under Garber’s direction, these awards will support select, early career investigators pursuing promising projects within the center’s areas of focus that have the potential for high-impact clinical applications.

“For both Michael and me, the quality of the people at Dana-Farber was the key to our decision about where to invest,” said Neil.

As a committed Trustee for many years, Michael also pledged unrestricted support through the Trustee Annual Fund, which provides flexible funds to support the greatest needs across the Institute; and for the Presidential Initiatives Fund, which allows President and CEO Laurie H. Glimcher, MD, to direct funds to promising high-risk, high-reward studies that hold great potential for discovery.

Michael’s commitment to inspiring others to become involved with Dana-Farber’s mission is further reflected by the portion of this gift being given through the Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC), the nation’s largest athletic fundraiser that draws participants from all over the country and solely supports Dana-Farber and the Jimmy Fund. The PMC is Dana-Farber’s largest single contributor, accounting for 64% of the Jimmy Fund’s annual revenue.

“This generous commitment from the Mellen and Eisenson Family brings us that much closer to achieving the ambitious goals of The Dana-Farber Campaign,” said Glimcher. “I am grateful for the trust they have placed in our ongoing work to understand, prevent, and treat BRCA cancers. Their generosity will help us improve the lives of patients for years to come.”

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Dana-Farber Cancer Institute has a lauded history of important discoveries about the immune system. In fact, the Institute’s late president, Baruj Benacerraf, MD, was a Nobel Laureate whose scientific discoveries transformed our basic understanding of how the body fights disease—laying the groundwork for today’s immunotherapy treatments for cancer and other diseases. With support from The Ambrose Monell Foundation over the past several years, Dana-Farber researchers have moved the field of immunotherapy forward to better match patients with the treatment most appropriate to their cancer. Now, with a renewed commitment of $1.5 million from the foundation, Dana-Farber scientists can capitalize on the momentum of their work and extend the impact of immunotherapy to the youngest, most vulnerable patients worldwide.

Immunotherapies trigger the body’s own immune system to detect and attack cancer cells. For 25% of cancer patients overall, these treatments have been lifesaving. But for the remaining 75%, they simply do not work. Dana-Farber is dedicated to changing this by developing new strategies within immuno-oncology, including researching how immunotherapies can be used to treat pediatric patients. This commitment from Dana-Farber is so significant that immunotherapy is a key priority of The Dana-Farber Campaign, the Institute’s multiyear, comprehensive fundraising effort.

Leveraging this new support from The Ambrose Monell Foundation, Dana-Farber will direct its efforts to bring the promise of immunotherapy to bear on pediatric cancers. Led by the Department of Pediatric Oncology and the Center for Precision Immuno-Oncology at Dana-Farber, the team of researchers will utilize this transformational gift to focus its work on determining how a child’s immune system responds to cancer, studying how the immune system recognizes cancer cells, and developing novel approaches for CAR T-cell therapies.

“The generous and continued support of The Ambrose Monell Foundation has provided the team at Dana-Farber the opportunity to greatly advance the field of immunotherapy,” said Laurie H. Glimcher, MD, Dana-Farber president and CEO, the Richard and Susan Smith Professor of Medicine, and a world-renowned immunologist. “Now, we can turn the attention of this work to pediatric oncology. With full lives ahead of them, our young patients deserve to have effective treatments that spare them so many of the toxic and late effects of traditional treatment.”

Established in 1956, The Ambrose Monell Foundation has a longstanding commitment to aiding and contributing to scientific, cultural, and other charitable initiatives. “We are proud to continue our partnership with Dana-Farber,” said Ambrose K. Monell, president, director, and treasurer of the foundation. “We are inspired by the dedication the clinicians and researchers have for their patients. Not only are they working to treat their patients in Boston, but they are committed to changing the lives of cancer patients everywhere.”

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When Institute Trustee Beth Terrana attended her first Dana-Farber event, it sparked her drive to advocate for cancer medicine and initiated her decades-long involvement with Dana-Farber. Since then, her resolve to support the Institute’s mission has only grown.

“I was so incredibly impressed by the dedication, passion, and commitment of all the clinicians and researchers I met, that I vowed to help them achieve their goals in any way possible,” said Terrana. Today, she is helping to lead The Dana-Farber Campaign as a member of the Campaign Cabinet.

Her recent campaign gift of $500,000 established the Terrana Family Fund for Clinical Access and Patient Navigation to support the Cancer Care Equity Program (CCEP). Under the direction of Christopher Lathan, MD, MPH, chief clinical access and equity officer and faculty director of the CCEP, in collaboration with Magnolia Contreras, vice president, Community Health, this gift will develop and implement a community-facing patient navigation program to increase community access to cancer care.

Patient navigation is a well-established intervention, removing barriers to care through financial assistance, transportation, childcare, and translation services. Navigators are typically from or familiar with the cultural communities of the patients they support—vital for building trust with patients and families.

“We want to increase access and broaden our presence,” said Lathan. “It’s important to ensure patients feel they are in the right place—that they can look around, feel comfortable, see others who look like them—because they are in the right place.”

Terrana’s fund has enabled the hiring of a patient navigator for the Gastrointestinal Oncology Center, one of Dana-Farber’s highest volume clinics, and a program manager to coordinate operations. The number of people under age 50 diagnosed with colorectal cancer is alarmingly increasing and according to the American Cancer Society, disproportionately affects Black Americans who are 20% more likely to develop it and 40% more likely to die from it than other racial or ethnic groups.

The Terrana Family Fund is amplified by her $100,000 contribution to the Trustee Annual Fund and $1.45 million bequest, securing membership in the Dana- Farber Society. Her family’s comprehensive philanthropic investment in the Institute supports key priorities of The Dana-Farber Campaign: Revolutionary Science, Extraordinary Care, Exceptional Expertise, and Essential Opportunities.

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Institute Trustee Alice Cutler and her late husband, Stephen, have been devoted members of the Dana-Farber community for decades. Through annual and major giving, Alice’s volunteer work and service on the Presidential Visiting Committees (now known as the Presidential Symposium), Board of Trustees, and the Friends of Dana-Farber, the Cutlers have been deeply involved in many of the Institute’s most important programs.

Now, with an incredible commitment of $1,007,500, Alice Cutler is helping to accelerate several key priorities of The Dana-Farber Campaign, including cancer prevention and early detection research led by Matthew Freedman, MD; research under the direction of Bruce Johnson, MD; the Presidential Initiatives Fund under the direction of President and CEO Laurie H. Glimcher, MD; and the cancer prevention efforts in Community Health led by Magnolia Contreras, MSW, MBA. Additionally, a portion of Cutler’s gift will support Volunteer Services under the direction of Senior Manager Patricia Stahl, MEd—a function Cutler holds dear as a volunteer through the Friends of Dana-Farber for 25 years.

Cutler first came to the Institute to accompany her father through his treatment for lung cancer. She recalls the compassion of his doctors, especially at a time when lung cancer was and still is stigmatized, and was impressed by the work that people like Bruce Johnson, MD, did to destigmatize the disease. That compassion inspired a lifetime commitment from Cutler.

Over the years, Cutler has developed a passion for research into early detection, which she feels is the next step in eradicating cancer.

“Years ago, when I first joined the Friends, I went to an event and there was a woman there holding a baby on her shoulder. I remember the event speaker pointed to the baby and said, ’When that baby grows up, this will be called the Dana-Farber Institute,’” said Cutler, pointedly removing the word “cancer” from the name. “We aren’t quite there yet, but I believe focusing on prevention and early detection will get us there.”

“We’ve made significant strides over the years in developing non-invasive methods to detect cancer at its earliest stages, but we still have far to go,” said Freedman. “Visionary funding like the Cutler gift accelerates our ability to create sensitive and accurate screening tools that will have a profound impact on eliminating cancer.”

Ever forward-thinking, in addition to her volunteer work and membership on various Board committees, Cutler is also member of the Dana-Farber Society, a group of visionary donors who secure future funding for cancer research and patient care with gifts through their estate plans.

“I’ve been fortunate to know Alice for a number of years, and I can say without a doubt that her loyal support, and that of the late Steve Cutler, to the Office of Clinical Trials has made a difference in the lives of our patients,” said Bruce Johnson, MD. “I’m grateful to have Alice’s continued faith in my work, and the work of my colleagues.”

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The G. Harold and Leila Y. Mathers Charitable Foundation has awarded two grants totaling $1.35 million to David Pellman, MD, and Philip Kranzusch, PhD, to advance promising studies in basic, discovery science at Dana-Farber that could lead to the development of new cancer therapeutics.

Previous studies funded by The Mathers Foundation led to Pellman’s discovery that certain errors arising during cell division cause largescale genetic abnormalities that help drive cancer evolution, and cellular forces similar to those involved in muscle contraction play a key role in these events. Now, a $750,000 grant from The Mathers Foundation will allow him to explore how these same contractile forces affect the proteins that bind to DNA to help govern global gene expression, cell division, and other cellular processes.

“The concept that mechanical tension within the cell could affect DNA packaging and gene expression is appealing and could help us better understand how cancers develop,” said Pellman, who is the Margaret M. Dyson Professor of Pediatric Oncology. “Ongoing support from The Mathers Foundation will allow us to explore this idea, which could change our fundamental understanding of how chromatin alterations occur during tumor development.”

Kranzusch’s research focuses on molecular messengers that regulate how cells respond to pathogens. One such messenger produced by the enzyme cGAS enables infected cells to trigger an ancient cellular defense mechanism known as the innate immune response, which entices the immune system to eliminate pathogens as well as cancer cells. Kranzusch has discovered thousands of proteins similar to cGAS that control antiviral immunity in bacteria and animal cells. With a $600,000 grant from The Mathers Foundation, he will study the molecular messengers produced by these enzymes and determine how to manipulate them to induce cancer-fighting immune responses.

“Support from The Mathers Foundation will allow our lab to develop new approaches to explain how bacterial and animal cells sense and respond to these molecular messengers,” said Kranzusch. “Findings from this research have the potential to fill key gaps in our knowledge about how innate immunity functions to protect from viral infection and cancer.”

Established in 1982, The Mathers Foundation has granted more than $350 million to support research aimed at advancing knowledge in the life sciences. Recognizing that truly transformative breakthroughs usually occur when investigators gain a thorough understanding of the fundamental mechanisms underlying natural phenomena, the foundation mainly funds basic scientific research with an eye toward translating foundational discoveries into new treatments for patients—aligning with The Dana-Farber Campaign’s strategic priority of advancing discovery science.

“The G. Harold and Leila Y. Mathers Foundation is pleased to support cutting-edge scientific research that may make a difference in patients’ lives,” said the foundation’s Director of Operations Zach Handelman. “We have found a trusted partner in Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.”

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Annie McNamara Evans was just 25 years old when she was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). She underwent treatment at Dana-Farber that included two bone marrow transplants and several experimental therapies. During this time, she raised awareness and funds for the Institute—speaking on air at the WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon and at the annual Friends of Dana-Farber dinner, for example—using her trademark humor and grace to share her experiences and inspire others facing a similar journey.

Unfortunately, Annie relapsed in 2018, shortly before her wedding to her college sweetheart, Dan Evans, and passed away in November 2019 at the age of 29.

What followed was an outpouring of love on a monumental scale. Nearly every person whom Annie had touched over the course of her life, including doctors and nurses on her care team led by Robert Soiffer, MD, found some way of taking up her cause for Dana-Farber—running the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge and Falmouth Road Race, riding in the Pan-Mass Challenge, holding bake sales, selling knitted hats and scarves, donating to her Jimmy Fund Giving Page, advocating for research into cures for AML, and above all, supporting each other over their shared loss.

“Right after Annie died, Dr. Soiffer emailed me asking about arrangements, and I wrote back to say ’Don’t feel like you need to come. You don’t see your families enough as it is,’” said Sally McNamara, Annie’s mother. “And he wrote back to me, ’You are family.’ It’s the thing that’s stuck with me— I’ll never forget it.”

“The generosity of Annie’s friends and family has been deeply moving, and demonstrates how many lives she touched,” said Soiffer, who is the chief of the Division of Hematologic Malignancies. “I know I speak for my entire team when I say thank you— funding like this means the world for the vital work we do every day at Dana-Farber.”

Annie’s family also made a generous gift of more than $1 million to Dana-Farber. Soiffer himself recommended that a substantial portion of the gift should go to support the nursing staff—a cause especially meaningful to Annie’s friends and family, because it would have been especially meaningful to Annie.

To that end, her family’s gift established a program dedicated to helping Dana-Farber’s transplant nurses and nurse practitioners navigate the process of grief and loss, through strengthening coping skills, facilitating the bereavement process, fostering stronger peer relationships, and reducing stress and compassion fatigue.

“My hope for the nursing portion of this gift is to foster and sustain that nursing community and that strength that they had,” said Dan. “Their strength gave Annie a lot of strength, which gave us a lot of strength.”

 “Our transplant nurses and nurse practitioners manage the care of patients through some of the most complex and challenging moments of their lives,” said Anne Gross, PhD, RN, senior vice president, Patient Care Services and chief nursing officer. “We are so grateful to Annie’s family for supporting our exceptional clinicians in such a meaningful way.”

The rest of the gift will fund research into AML and stem cell transplants under the direction of Soiffer, further ensuring that Annie’s legacy lives on.

“She’s our North Star. She’s very missed,” said Sally. “But we feel a lot of love.”

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For more than 40 years, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) has supported Dana-Farber’s important research into blood cancers, leading to breakthroughs that have made a difference in the lives of patients and their families. Building on this incredible momentum, LLS recently awarded three Dana-Farber physician-scientists grants totaling nearly $1,150,000, to advance the development of targeted therapies for blood cancers.

Margaret Shipp, MD, chief of the division of Hematologic Neoplasia and the director of the Lymphoma Research Center at Dana-Farber, and co-leader Scott Rodig, MD, PhD, received the Blood Cancer Discoveries Grant Award to fund their research into further understanding the tumor-immune microenvironment (TIME) of classic Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL). Shipp’s grant was co-funded by The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research and The Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group. Her team is creating a roadmap of TIME-associated immune evasion mechanisms that they are confident will uncover druggable targets for cHL and many other types of blood cancers.

“At present, our understanding of how lymphomas evade immunological recognition and elimination is incomplete. We’ve identified classic Hodgkin lymphoma as a perfect model system to address this question,” said Shipp, who is also the Douglas S. Miller Chair in Lymphoma at Dana-Farber. “What’s more, the proposed TIME roadmap of cHL will provide additional insights and therapeutic strategies for many other hematolymphoid neoplasms and solid tumors.”

Kimberly Stegmaier, MD, co-director of the Pediatric Hematologic Malignancy Program at Dana-Farber, received funding for her research into new therapies for pediatric acute leukemias as part of LLS PedAL—a global precision medicine master clinical trial that will test multiple targeted therapies simultaneously around the world. As part of this endeavor, Stegmaier and her team aim to identify highly effective, novel targeted therapy combinations for children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). These preclinical studies will inform future PedAL clinical trials.

“Tremendous progress has been made in increasing survival for pediatric ALL in the last few decades, but progress has been slower for AML and certain high-risk subgroups of ALL,” said Stegmaier, who is also the Ted Williams Chair at Dana-Farber. “This project aims to change that and propel a number of new treatment strategies to help children facing these diseases. I am so grateful to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s support of this critical research.”

Since 1949, LLS has invested over $1.3 billion in cutting-edge research for leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma, and other rare types of blood cancers. With more than $74 million awarded to Dana-Farber in total, the foundation has been an important partner to the Institute over the years, and their latest investment provides a valuable boost to the ambitious goals of The Dana-Farber Campaign.

“LLS funds lifesaving blood cancer research around the world and we believe the collaboration with Dana-Farber Cancer Institute physicians and researchers will help accelerate the advancement of cures and better patient care for people with blood cancer,” said Lee Greenberger, PhD, LLS Chief Scientific Officer. “We are optimistic that the research LLS is funding through Dana-Farber and other institutions will more rapidly advance innovative blood cancer therapies and save more lives.”

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Based in the United Kingdom, The Brain Tumour Charity supports research on what they describe as the most incredible part of the human body—the brain. The charity has two ambitious goals: double survival from brain tumors in the U.K. in the next 10 years and halve the harm brain tumors have on quality of life within five years. To help achieve these goals and speed up progress against brain cancers globally, The Brain Tumour Charity funds highly innovative and promising neuro-oncology research.

The Brain Tumour Charity recently awarded Rameen Beroukhim, MD, PhD, a grant of more than $1.5 million to lead an international collaboration to examine the drivers of gliomas, the most common brain tumors occurring in childhood. Children with high-grade gliomas often have a very difficult prognosis and need new treatments to improve outcomes. And while children with low-grade gliomas often survive, they can experience serious side effects from the disease as well as from the treatments currently available. Beroukhim’s research aims to expand treatment options for all children with gliomas. Beroukhim is specifically studying a group of proteins called transcription factors, which play a key role in normal neurodevelopment. When mutated, transcription factors may switch on developmental pathways that would normally be switched off—a mechanism that is linked to gliomas. Beroukhim aims to better understand this mechanism and how to target transcription factors as a new way to treat pediatric gliomas.

With Beroukhim as the lead investigator, this project is being carried out by a geographically dispersed team of researchers at Dana-Farber and institutions in Europe and the U.K. The researchers at Dana-Farber include Mimi Bandopadhayay, MBBS, PhD, and Mariella Filbin, MD, PhD, research codirector of the Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Program. These world-leading experts across a diverse set of disciplines—including genomics, epigenomics, developmental biology, and chemistry—each bring unique knowledge and strategies to bear on the goal to deliver new pediatric cancer treatments.

“This support from The Brain Tumour Charity allows us to join forces with many of the top leaders in the world across varied scientific disciplines to develop new drugs to target transcription factors and combat gliomas,” said Beroukhim. “This work could ultimately make an enormous difference by improving outcomes for young patients with these brain tumors, for whom new and better treatments are desperately needed.”

Pediatric cancer is a key focus of The Dana-Farber Campaign, the Institute’s multi-year fundraising effort which aims to accelerate its strategic priorities by supporting revolutionary science, extraordinary care, and exceptional expertise.

“This award to Dr. Rameen Beroukhim is an example of The Brain Tumour Charity funding world-class researchers and connecting global experts to accelerate the discovery of new treatments,” said David Jenkinson, PhD, chief scientific officer and interim CEO, The Brain Tumour Charity. “Together with the team at Dana-Farber, we’re improving our understanding of brain tumours and advancing faster towards a cure.”

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Continuing their family’s deep commitment to conquering pancreatic cancer, Judith B. Hale, her son, Robert T. Hale Jr., and his wife, Karen Hale, have pledged an additional $50 million to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. This gift, one of the largest single gifts in the Institute’s history, will support the Hale Family Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, founded in 2016 with $15 million from Judith, Robert, and Karen.

This new gift, the largest-ever gift to pancreatic cancer research at Dana-Farber, will enable a wide range of ambitious work in two main areas: early detection and prevention, and precision medicine and biology. Currently a national leader in the field, the Hale Family Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research will launch teams of scientists to leverage health system data to identify those at highest risk for pancreatic cancer, detect it earlier through new imaging approaches and blood tests, and develop new treatments for pre-invasive and early invasive pancreatic cancers.

The center will also investigate the biology and interplay of pancreatic cancer cells, the immune system, and stromal cells, and develop a series of clinical trials to test new therapies based upon discoveries from these initiatives.

“Our intention is to substantially speed the pace of research and new treatments for this terrible disease,” said Judith Hale, a member of the Dana-Farber Board of Trustees. “We are investing in the exceptional talent at Dana-Farber because we are committed to finding a cure. That would be a wonderful honor for my husband and legacy for our family.”

“Working in partnership with the Hale Family, we have already made significant progress against pancreatic cancer,” said Dana-Farber President and CEO Laurie H. Glimcher, MD. “Yet far too many families are still devastated by this disease. We share the Hale Family’s bold vision to eradicate pancreatic cancer and save lives, here and around the world. With this incredibly generous, transformational gift, the Hale Family is providing us with an unprecedented opportunity, and responsibility, to do just that.”

“More than 60,000 people will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer this year, far too often at a late stage,” said Karen Hale. “It is critical to detect it early when it is most vulnerable, and to have newer, more advanced treatments available when we do. Dana-Farber has the best team of scientists and clinicians to do this urgent work.”

A Generational Legacy

This gift is in honor of Robert T. “Bob” Hale Sr., a patient of the Institute, who died in 2008, and together with Judy established a fund in 2007 to support pancreatic cancer research.

The Hale Family’s commitment to pancreatic cancer research and care has continued across the generations. Judith Hale created the Hale Family Center for Pancreatic Cancer in 2012, and with her son and daughter-in-law, established the current Hale Family Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research in 2016.

In addition, the Hales’ company, Granite Telecommunications, and its employees have supported research at Dana-Farber and other institutions by providing millions of dollars through corporate philanthropy and popular annual events.

“I am inspired by the Hale’s determination and commitment to the mission we all share,” said Josh Bekenstein, chairman of the Board of Dana-Farber. “They are a model for others of the bold, forward-thinking philanthropy that has meant so much progress for patients throughout DanaFarber’s history.”

“With this extremely generous gift from the Hale Family, we have an incredible opportunity to transform how pancreatic cancer is diagnosed and treated,” said Brian Wolpin, MD, MPH, director of the Hale Family Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research and the Robert T. and Judith B. Hale Chair in Pancreatic Cancer at Dana-Farber. “We share their deep commitment to ending pancreatic cancer, and the entire Hale Center team is exceptionally grateful for—and energized by—their trust and longtime financial support.”

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Cancer touches everyone, so all have a stake in defying it at every turn. Dana-Farber is leading the way in this global effort thanks to the help of a committed community of supporters and dedicated champions like Boston legend, Larry Lucchino.

Recently, Lucchino made a gift of $500,000 to The Dana-Farber Campaign, to support capital projects and strategic initiatives through the Presidential Initiatives Fund. His philanthropy underscores the campaign’s cornerstone priorities of supporting revolutionary science, extraordinary care, and exceptional expertise to create better outcomes for patients everywhere.

Lucchino’s generosity was recognized by naming The Imagine Display, a whimsical representation of Dana-Farber’s signature “bench to bedside” research model through the eyes of our youngest patients. Opening in November 2021, The Imagine Display, made possible by the Lucchino Family, offers an array of unique naming opportunities for all donors that will further generate critical funding for cancer research and care at the Institute.

Larry Lucchino has repeatedly risen to the occasion for Dana-Farber and its patients in an array of leadership roles. As president and CEO of the Boston Red Sox from 2002 to 2015, he deepened the Jimmy Fund’s partnership with the team by helping to establish such beloved annual traditions as the WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon and trips to Spring Training for Jimmy Fund Clinic patients and caregivers. In 2016, Lucchino signed on as Chairman of the Jimmy Fund, serving as the lead ambassador and public spokesperson to increase grassroots support for Dana-Farber’s mission.

An Institute Trustee since 2003, Lucchino has been deeply involved in Dana-Farber’s fundraising efforts on many fronts. He served as co-chair of the Institute’s ambitious Mission Possible campaign from 2004 to 2011 and chair of the Trustee Philanthropy Committee from 2014 to 2020. He and wife Stacey walk in the Boston Marathon^® Jimmy Fund Walk, Stacey rides in the Pan-Mass Challenge, and both are members of the Dana-Farber Society, a special family of forward-thinking supporters who have invested in the Institute’s future through planned giving.

Now, as The Dana-Farber Campaign continues to gain momentum, Lucchino is once again helping to lead the charge through his generous gift and his service as a member of the Campaign Cabinet. A longtime Dana-Farber patient who first came to the Institute for treatment while still living in Washington, D.C., Lucchino has personal knowledge of and gratitude for the Institute’s impact in New England, across the country, and throughout the world. And he believes that the campaign, along with all who support it, empowers Dana-Farber to make an even greater difference.

“New ideas can only be generated through new funding, and the campaign allows us to pursue solutions to the problem of cancer in new, better, and different ways,” Lucchino said. “I am proud of what Dana-Farber does in and beyond our community, and I am honored to support it any way I can.”

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For several years, Dipanjan Chowdhury, PhD, chief of the Division of Radiation and Genome Stability at Dana-Farber, has been working to improve early detection tools for ovarian cancer. Often referred to as a “silent” disease, ovarian cancer is typically asymptomatic in its earliest, most treatable stages. As a result, most women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer when it is at an advanced stage, at which point only about a quarter of patients will survive for at least five years.

For Veronica de Piante Vicin, these statistics are personal. Her late mother, Ana Maria Lolla, faced advanced ovarian cancer twice in her lifetime, and the disease unfortunately runs in the family. Her mother was treated overseas, with consultations from the Dana-Farber care team, and during this time, de Piante Vicin resolved herself to helping spare others from the pain of ovarian cancer if she could.

When Ana Maria ultimately passed away in 2014, that desire to help grew stronger. And when de Piante Vicin was introduced to Chowdhury and his research at Dana-Farber, she knew right away that she wanted to get involved. In 2016, she established the Ovarian Cancer Early Detection Fund in honor of Ana Maria Lolla.

“Dipanjan is just so passionate. He really believes he is going to get there,” said de Piante Vicin. “He believes he’ll actually get the results that are needed to help so many women.”

Chowdhury and his colleagues discovered a specific set of 14 circulating microRNAs (miRNAs)—a type of molecule that helps cells control the kinds and amounts of proteins they make—in the blood of ovarian cancer patients. Over the last few years, his team has been using this knowledge to develop a highly sensitive blood test that can detect early-stage disease.

“Ovarian cancer detected early is more curable, so the development of accurate and sensitive tests is an enormous priority for high-risk families,” said Chowdhury, who also serves as co-director of the Center for BRCA and Related Genes at Dana-Farber. “We have seen tremendous progress over the last few years, and that’s thanks in large part to supporters like Veronica who believe in this work and what it could mean for countless women.”

Early detection is a major priority of The Dana-Farber Campaign, and Chowdhury’s research is the kind of approach that could make that goal a reality. But the faith that de Piante Vicin has in Chowdhury as a person represents what makes Dana-Farber so special to so many: the brilliant, compassionate people behind the mission.

“There’s a positivity about Dipanjan that’s infectious, that’s tangible, and my mother had the same positivity, even throughout treatment,” said de Piante Vicin. “I think she would be immensely proud to know that it’s in her name and that this test could avoid a lot of the pain. She’d be very, very happy.”

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Institute Trustee Ted Pasquarello and his wife, Eileen, recently made a new gift of $2 million in support of cellular therapies research under the direction of Robert Soiffer, MD, vice chair of the department of Medical Oncology and chief of the Division of Hematologic Malignancies.

The Pasquarellos’ involvement with Dana-Farber stretches back to the 1990s, when Ted was diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). He underwent treatment overseen by Soiffer, which included a stem cell transplant and a new drug called imatinib—known by the brand name Gleevec—one of the earliest targeted therapies available for CML that was a gamechanger for cancer medicine. Ted, who has been in remission since 2003, points to this experience as a key motivator for funding early stage research that shows long-term promise.

“I was very fortunate to receive one of the earlier drugs, and it has led us to support research that could help somebody in the future,” said Ted. “Our donations always go to where we can make the biggest progress.”

The Pasquarellos’ new commitment provides powerful momentum to The Dana-Farber Campaign through its support of two key cellular therapy studies led by Soiffer and Jerome Ritz, MD, executive director of the Connell and O’Reilly Families Cell Manipulation Core Facility.

The first is research into harnessing natural killer (NK) cells— aggressive immune cells that can attack disease cells at a moment’s notice—to treat many forms of cancer. The second project will leverage a genetic weakness of the common Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) to develop a new class of T cells capable of treating B cell malignancies. This treatment, called CD4 T-cell therapy, aims to prompt a similar immune response as in EBV to potentially eliminate cancer and prevent recurrence.

“Ted and Eileen’s continuous philanthropic support over the years has kickstarted several early stage projects,” said Soiffer, who also serves as chair of the Executive Committee for Clinical Programs. “Our work in cellular therapies holds tremendous promise for countless patients, and this latest commitment will help accelerate our progress.”

The Pasquarellos have seen their seed funding pay off in other projects, such as the Pasquarello Tissue Bank, which has provided researchers with invaluable patient samples for more than 20 years. The Pasquarellos’ foresight is also evident through their membership in the Dana-Farber Society, which honors those who have left a legacy to the Institute in their will, estate plans, or through other deferred and complex assets.

“When I look back over 23 years now, and I see some of the things that they’ve done and the dedication that they have, I feel grateful,” said Ted. “They eat, sleep, and think constantly about how to help patients. We’re proud to provide the capital to make it happen.”

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On February 18, more than 200 supporters of the Palm Beach community gathered virtually to participate in Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s premier event “Cocktails and Conversation with Our Doctors.” Graciously chaired by Institute Trustees Phyllis Krock and Judie Schlager, Dana-Farber doctors and researchers discussed the latest cancer discoveries and research advances at the Institute. In addition to the event, the Palm Beach community raised more than $1.6 million through a special appeal to support lifesaving cancer treatments and groundbreaking research discoveries for patients around the world.

The event kicked off with remarks from legendary singer-songwriter and member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame James Taylor and his wife, Kim. At the top of the evening, alongside Kim and their son, Harry, Taylor gave a heartfelt performance of “You Can Close Your Eyes.”

During the conversation portion of the night, Dana-Farber’s physician-scientists elaborated on what excites them about the future of cancer research and care, and how the Palm Beach community continues to contribute to this progress. Laurie H. Glimcher, MD, president and CEO, shared her appreciation for the Palm Beach community and gave an exclusive preview of The Dana-Farber Campaign.

Dana-Farber physician-scientist speakers included Kenneth Anderson, MD, director of the Jerome Lipper Multiple Myeloma Center and LeBow Institute for Myeloma Therapeutics, and the Kraft Family Professor of Medicine; Judy Garber, MD, MPH, chief of Cancer Genetics and Prevention and the Susan F. Smith Chair; Christopher Lathan, MD, MS, MPH, chief clinical access and equity officer and associate medical director of the Dana-Farber Network; Robert J. Mayer, MD, faculty vice president for Academic Affairs and the Stephen B. Kay Family Professor of Medicine; Kimmie Ng, MD, MPH, director of Young-Onset Colorectal Cancer Center and director of Clinical Research in the Center for Gastrointestinal Oncology; and Eric P. Winer, MD, chief clinical development officer, senior vice president for Medical Affairs, chief of the Division of Breast Oncology and the Thompson Chair in Breast Cancer Research.

The evening’s vice chairs were Institute Trustee Harvey Berger and his wife, Chrysanthi, Phyllis and Paul Fireman, and Institute Trustee Michele Kessler and her husband, Howard. The co-chairs were Bruce Beal and Frank Cunningham, Dana-Farber Society member Rose Dana and her husband, Institute Trustee and Dana-Farber Society member Charles Dana, Judy and Jim Harpel, Institute Trustee Sandy Krakoff, Vicki and Arthur Loring, Tom Quick, Institute Trustee Jean Sharf, and Roberta and Stephen R. Weiner. The virtual event was produced by Bryan Rafanelli.

The night ended on a bright note as Taylor performed “Shower the People” and attendees sang along. Just before the performance began, Kenneth Anderson, MD, offered a moment of gratitude when he said, “Your heartfelt commitment, kindness, and support of our clinical and research efforts represents the epitome of caring for one another and helping those in need.”

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The Helen Gurley Brown Foundation, established as The Pussycat Foundation in 2010 by longtime Cosmopolitan magazine editor-in-chief Helen Gurley Brown, recently renewed its support for Dana-Farber by funding two programs aimed at empowering women in science with a grant of $2,350,000 for 22 women faculty and fellows.

The first of these programs is The Helen Gurley Brown Presidential Initiative, launched in 2016, which pairs senior women faculty and women fellows for two years, providing an opportunity for early career scientists to benefit from the mentorship of senior scientists who understand the unique challenges faced by women in academic medicine. The new grant supports 10 such partnerships.

In 2020, the foundation expanded its impact with the newly established Helen Trailblazer Awards. This program provides funding to women assistant and associate professors to propel their research and careers to the next level, further cementing their leadership in their respective field. The inaugural recipients, Himisha Beltran, MD, and Kira Bona, MD, MPH, will use the funding to advance their important work in developing new treatments for prostate cancer and identifying novel epigenetic changes driving pediatric cancer disparities, respectively.

“We are delighted to partner once again with Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to further our mission of inspiring and mentoring future generations of women leaders,” said Eve Burton, president of the Helen Gurley Brown Foundation. “The newly launched Helen Trailblazer Awards are emblematic of our commitment to empowering women with the resources they need to thrive.”

Beltran is studying the biology of small cell neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC)—an aggressive, late-stage form of prostate cancer that currently has no approved therapies. With this new funding, Beltran aims to explore the use of T cells to target the protein DLL3 expressed on the surface of NEPC cells, and to develop effective combination treatment strategies. Her research will be crucial to developing combination therapies for patients who have developed resistance to treatment.

Bona is studying the biological impact of poverty on pediatric B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Her data over the last decade demonstrates that children with cancer who come from low-income families experience higher rates of relapse and decreased overall survival compared to children from non-low-income families when treated on the same clinical trials. With this funding, Bona will explore whether physiological responses to poverty-associated stress result in cancers that are more resistant to chemotherapy.

“The current approach to disparities research in pediatrics is to consider social and behavioral risk factors as targets for intervention,” said Bona. “This study challenges that paradigm and has the potential to change our approaches to therapy.”

Since 2016, the Helen Gurley Brown Foundation has provided more than $5 million in support of women faculty and fellows at Dana-Farber. Through The Dana-Farber Campaign, the Institute has prioritized faculty development and reducing disparities in health care; donors like the Helen Gurley Brown Foundation ensure success in these areas.

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From the moment former Institute Trustee Alan Hirschfield met Arnold Freedman, MD, in 1996, he knew he had found not only his new doctor, but a friend. Alan and his wife, Berte, knew Dana-Farber by reputation, and so when Alan was diagnosed with lymphoma, the couple came to Boston all the way from Jackson, Wyoming. Freedman impressed them so much with his compassion and expertise that they decided that he should oversee Alan’s treatment.

That was the beginning of a long and fruitful friendship between the Hirschfields and Freedman, and a long and fruitful lifetime of involvement with the Institute. In 2002, Alan was invited to join the Board of Trustees, and for many years participated in the Visiting Committee for Hematologic Oncology—now known as Dana-Farber’s Presidential Symposium—which Berte also joined and attends annually to this day.

After Alan passed away, Berte wanted to honor his legacy. She recently established an endowment to support lymphoma research conducted by early career faculty, which will be overseen by her dear friends Freedman and David Weinstock, MD, another colleague who quickly bonded with the Hirschfields. Weinstock is a Lavine Family Chair for Preventative Cancer Therapies at Dana-Farber.

“It means a great deal to me, and I know it would mean a great deal to Alan,” said Berte. “I can’t think of a better way to honor Alan and Arnie than with this gift. I have great confidence knowing Arnie and David will put the funds to the best use—they are both brilliant leaders in the field.”

The fund will be named the Alan J. Hirschfield Lymphoma Endowed Fund until Freedman retires, at which time it will be renamed the Arnold Freedman, MD, Lymphoma Endowed Fund to honor the meaningful friendship between the Hirschfields and Freedman.

“I am deeply moved by this gift from Berte,” said Freedman. “Alan was a wonderful friend to me for more than 20 years, and the Hirschfields have been truly valued supporters of the Institute for just as long. This endowment will be an incredibly important resource for the Adult Lymphoma Program for many years to come.”

The fund supports the next generation of lymphoma physician-researchers at the Institute, providing powerful momentum to one of the pillars of The Dana-Farber Campaign: investing in exceptional people. For Berte, an entrepreneur with a particular passion for startups, supporting young physician-scientists was a perfect fit.

“Over the years, when family members or close friends have had cancer, I suggest they go to Dana-Farber where I know they will have the best care, for Dana-Farber treats every patient equally,” said Berte. “Their profound understanding of the most current cancer protocols and their humane treatment of patients is unparalleled.”

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