Dear UCSF Community,

I am thrilled to announce a generous new gift from Joan and Sandy Weill that aims to transform cancer research and care over the next decade.

The $100 million matching gift will support collaborative teams of UCSF and Stanford University researchers through Weill Cancer Hub West – a new entity modeled on the successful Weill NeuroHub that launched in 2016. Both UCSF and Stanford have pledged to match our halves of the gift, bringing the total to $200 million.

The initiative has been several years in the planning, but it could not have come at a better time for cancer research or our patients. In the past few years, the advances in biology, immunology, and data science have created an unprecedented opportunity for both cancer research and new therapies. Weill Cancer Hub West will bring those fields together through collaborative teams across specialties, launching four team-science projects at the forefront of cellular engineering, CRISPR technologies, and artificial intelligence.

Joan and Sandy have a long history of support for science and for pursuing innovative ideas that bring people together. This gift exemplifies that spirit.

Please join me in thanking the Weill family for their generosity and vision at such a pivotal moment in cancer research and care. You can read more about the gift and our plans here. 

Sincerely, 

Sam Hawgood, MBBS
Chancellor
Arthur and Toni Rembe Rock Distinguished Professor