HOUSTON - The Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Charity Foundation is granting $150 million to The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center to support genetic-analysis based research, diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Presidential Affairs and Chairman of the Foundation, and Francisco G. Cigarroa, M.D., Chancellor of The University of Texas System, recently witnessed the ceremonial signing.
Signed by Ahmed Juma Al Za'abi, Deputy Chairman of the Foundation, and John Mendelsohn, M.D., president of UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, the agreement calls for establishing the Zayed bin Sultan al Nahyan Building for Personalized Cancer Care at MD Anderson. The 600,000 square-foot facility will house the Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Institute for Personalized Cancer Therapy and the Ahmed bin Zayed Al Nahyan Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research.
The grant also will fund three distinguished university chairs named after Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan for oncology, the Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan for medical or scientific discipline dedicated to cancer research and the Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for scientific and medical knowledge in cancer research.
The grant will also fund a group of fellowships every year.
Speaking after the signing ceremony, Cigarroa said the grant will impact the speed with which discoveries can occur and cures can be found.
Mendelsohn described the grant as the largest in the history of MD Anderson.
He added that the grant will ultimately enable MD Anderson to offer a new level of personalized treatment to the more than 30,000 patients seen each year.
The mission of MD Anderson Cancer Center is to eliminate cancer in Texas, the nation, and the world through outstanding programs that integrate patient care, research and prevention, and through education for undergraduate and graduate students, trainees, professionals, employees and the public.
About MD Anderson
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston ranks as one of the world's most respected centers focused on cancer patient care, research, education and prevention. MD Anderson is one of only 40 comprehensive cancer centers designated by the National Cancer Institute. For seven of the past nine years, including 2010, MD Anderson has ranked No. 1 in cancer care in "America's Best Hospitals," a survey published annually in U.S. News & World Report.