Welcome to the University of Chicago Cancer Research Foundation

The University of Chicago Cancer Research Foundation (UCCRF) is a private, not-for-profit organization that seeks funds to underwrite basic and clinical research programs on the causes, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of cancer at the University of Chicago Cancer Research Center.

As the UCCRF President Ruth Ann McGuinnis explained, the Foundation's members "are investors in innovation. We provide the Center with funding that has a special value because it supports the preliminary research required to obtain financing from other sources. In a sense, we raise the venture capital that gives scientists and clinicians the freedom to boldly pursue their most promising insights. By leveraging our contributions, the Center is able to create pioneering therapies and bring their enormous benefits to patients and communities." We see the impacts of contributions to the Foundation at work throughout the University.

The combined power these donations—large and small—has enabled the purchase of state-of-the-art equipment, enhanced hospital and laboratory facilities, funded fellowships for young scientists, and generated innovative research by many of our most distinguished researchers. These scientists rely on this essential support because it provides them with the freedom necessary to pursue their most visionary investigations and explore new frontiers in cancer research. The Board of Trustees is the Foundation's governing body. Its members represent both the community and the Foundation's three auxiliary boards, which are discussed below.

The Associates Board of the UCCRF is comprised primarily of young philanthropists committed to the fight against cancer. Although it is the UCCRF's newest Board, the Associates Board has already made significant contributions to advance cancer research and has helped the University of Chicago maintain its reputation as a pioneer in the study and treatment of malignant mesothelioma and the develop of immunotherapies. This approach to treatments encourages our own immune systems to attack cancer and enhances their effectiveness. Last year, the Board provided $110,000 in funding to support the cGMP facility and to underwrite the mesothelioma research of Hedy L. Kindler, MD, and Ravi Salgia, MD, PhD.

The UCCRF Auxiliary Board was founded in 1951 by Stephanie Howell. Stephanie and her friends raised $3,000 in its first year. The Board was incorporated in 1959 as an official auxiliary of the UCCRF. In 2005, the Auxiliary Board provided $90,000 to support three cancer researchers: Amy Peterson, MD; Karen M. Frank, MD, PhD; and Miriam B. Rodin, MD, PhD. Dr. Peterson develops new forms of immunotherapy, Dr. Frank investigates both the immune system and the mechanisms of cancer development, and Dr. Rodin studies the effects of cancer treatments on the memory, attention and thinking faculties of cancer survivors.

The UCCRF Women's Board is a board of The University of Chicago Cancer Research Foundation. Formed in 1947, the Women's Board has helped the University of Chicago establish world-class programs in cancer genetics, immunotherapies, pharmacogenomics, bio- and clinical informatics, and other targeted therapies. In just the last 12 years, these dedicated women raised $5 million for cancer research. Last year they raised more than $700,000. The Board's focuses much of its efforts on raising funding for the University of Chicago's Ben May Institute for Cancer Research.