Jon M. Huntsman
Mary Beckerle, PhD
On June 21, 2017, the Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the University of Utah announced the official opening of its Primary Children’s and Families’ Cancer Research Center, a world-class facility dedicated to advancing research in cancer. Jon M. Huntsman also announced a commitment from the Huntsman family and Huntsman Cancer Foundation to give $120 million to HCI.
The 225,000 square-foot expansion doubles HCI’s research capacity. Research enhancements include a biotechnology center, complete with advanced genetic--sequencing and imaging equipment. Researchers at the center will leverage the additional space and technology to trace familial cancers, accelerate the development of new treatments and cancer prevention strategies, and enhance training programs for the next generation of cancer researchers.
“This new research space is essential to HCI’s mission to relieve the suffering of [patients with] cancer by better understanding cancer and applying that understanding to the development of new ways to treat and prevent cancer,” said Mary Beckerle, PhD, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Huntsman. “HCI is more committed than ever to accelerate progress against cancer. We will now be able to expand our research to address the most devastating cancer challenges.… The work we are doing here in Utah will bring comfort and cures to millions of families around the world.”
The Primary Children’s and Families’ Cancer Research Center will house many unique resources and technologies available to its faculty, including cancer biostatistics, genetic counseling, genomics and bioinformatics analysis, research informatics, and the Utah Population Database. ■
