This most recent gift from Mr. and Mrs. Irving highlights one of the most successful fundraising years in CUMC history. Fundraising in the current fiscal year is expected to raise more than $200 million. This builds on the continuing success of the CUMC capital campaign, which has raised more than $1.8 billion—almost double the original goal of $1 billion.
"Having people like Herb and Florence Irving loyally support our University is a great privilege," said Columbia University President Lee C. Bollinger. "As an institution, we are known in part through the people who are our friends and partners. And Herb and Florence stand out as the best of friends and best of partners in our commitment to saving lives and finding cures."
"Columbia University—especially our Cancer Center—is forever indebted to Herbert and Florence Irving for their ongoing loyalty and generosity," said Lee Goldman, MD, dean of the faculties of health sciences and medicine at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and executive vice president for health and biomedical sciences at Columbia University Medical Center. "This gift showcases their unwavering support and commitment to our medical research. With their continuing support of our Cancer Center, Mr. and Mrs. Irving have secured their legacy as among the nation's leading supporters in the fight against cancer."
The new grant will be used by HICCC Director Stephen G. Emerson, MD, PhD, to recruit and retain new cancer investigators and to support its current investigators, as well as for Cancer Center operations. The HICCC encompasses all cancer-related pre-clinical and clinical research, prevention, patient care, and education at Columbia University Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia. It is one of only three National Institutes of Health–designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in New York State.
"As our investigators work to bring new advances to cancer patients and their families—building upon the highly promising cancer research discoveries of the past two decades—this extraordinarily generous support from Mr. and Mrs. Irving will go a long way toward expanding our research enterprise, so that we might develop new, better ways both to detect cancer in earlier stages and to treat it in targeted, more efficient ways," said Dr. Emerson, who holds the Clyde '56 and Helen Wu Professorship in Immunology at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.
"Columbia's top-notch researchers and their devotion to bettering the lives of our world's citizens through medical advancements are what move Florence and me to continue to support their work," said Mr. Irving. "The global prevalence of cancer—and how it robs people of precious time with loved ones and their ability to achieve personal goals—is what motivates us to support Columbia's efforts to eradicate cancer and its devastating effects on families."
"Herb and Florence are not only the most important benefactors of our Medical Center, they are visionaries. We are grateful for the lasting and meaningful ways that they have contributed to the greatness of our institution," said Robert Kasdin, senior executive vice president of Columbia University. "And those of us who are lucky enough to know them personally always come away from speaking with them feeling that they have added to our lives—through their allegiance, through their humor and through their incredible intelligence."
The series of major gifts from Herbert and Florence Irving in support of CUMC's research, patient care, and education mission dates back nearly three decades, beginning with their 1987 endowment of the Irving Scholars program for young clinical investigators who are at the beginning of their careers. The program recently named its 100th scholar. Their support has also established the Irving Institute for Clinical and Translational Research; the Herbert Irving Pavilion, a clinical building on the NYPH/CUMC campus; and the Irving Cancer Research Center, a 300,000-square-foot cancer research and education facility.
Provided by Columbia University Medical Center
This Phys.org Science News Wire page contains a press release issued by an organization mentioned above and is provided to you “as is” with little or no review from Phys.Org staff.
