George and Barbara Bush Endowment

For Innovative Cancer Research 

Friends and supporters have found the Bush Endowment to be a special and significant means of honoring the Bushes while helping them reduce the burden of cancer. Thousands of individuals, corporations, foundations and representatives of foreign nations have made generous contributions to the Bush Endowment. This fund has the potential to directly touch the lives of millions of cancer patients, families and individuals at risk of developing cancer.

How it Began 

Throughout decades of public service, the Bushes have remained devoted to helping those affected by cancer. The Bushes lost their three-year-old daughter Robin to leukemia in 1953 and have actively supported the cause of visionary cancer research since then. The former President and Mrs. Bush have been involved with M. D. Anderson since 1977 when they joined the institution’s advisory group known as the Board of Visitors. Mr. Bush served as chairman of the Board of Visitors from 2001 to 2003, never missing a meeting during his term.

The Robin Bush Child and Adolescent Clinic at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center was named for their daughter in June 2004 in recognition of the extraordinary generosity and commitment of George and Barbara Bush to the M. D. Anderson mission to eliminate cancer.

“It is an honor for M. D. Anderson to pay tribute to a child — and her family — who sparked such inspiration and commitment to eradicating this disease,” said Eugenie Kleinerman, M.D., head of the Division of Pediatrics. “It takes great strength to come through losing a child, but to do so much for research that could save other children is truly courageous and uplifting to those families who are tested by cancer today.”

Former President H. W. Bush's 80th Birthday Celebration

During a weekend-long celebration June 11-13, 2004, the Bush Forty-One Endowment Celebration attracted thousands of well-wishers to honor George H. W. Bush on his 80th birthday. The fundraising efforts leading up to the event exceeded the $50 million goal for the George and Barbara Bush Endowment for Innovative Cancer Research. 

How the Bush Endowment Works

• Each year funds distributed from the endowment support new and innovative avenues of research.
• Interest and investment income is used for research—allowing researchers to focus more fully on their investigations.
• Endowment capital remains untouched providing a long-term, predictable source of revenue for the future.

The Endowment Research Emphasis

The Bush Endowment focuses on funding cancer research at the molecular and genetic level, as well as other innovative M. D. Anderson research endeavors. The initial grants awarded have given gifted physicians and scientists the means to pursue new pathways of discovery and to leverage the data obtained into larger grants from federal and other grant-making sources. Experience shows that enabling molecular and genetic research will lead directly to more effective options in cancer treatment and prevention.

Researchers Funded by the Endowment

Lee M. Ellis, M.D.

Professor, Departments of Surgical Oncology and Cancer Biology
Dr. Ellis conducts pioneering translational research that has made him an international authority on colon cancer angiogenesis and can eventually lead to novel anti-angiogenic therapy for patients with colon cancer. 

Andreas Bergmann, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
What makes cells more resistant to cell death (apoptosis) is the central question that Dr. Bergmann and his research team are asking. The aim is to use this knowledge to target the mechanisms regulating sensitivity to cell death and eventually, in the clinic, resensitize tumor cells and chemo-resistant cells so that they are no longer resistant to the normal cell death process.

Burton F. Dickey, M.D.

Professor and Chair, Department of Pulmonary Medicine
Dr. Dickey is working to reduce the toll pneumonia takes on cancer patients. Pneumonia is a serious and common problem among cancer patients because most cancer treatments impair the immune system’s ability to fight infection. By sampling the airway secretions of patients with pneumonia and analyzing the fluid with advanced technologies such as mass spectroscopy, Dr. Dickey hopes to find ways to better identify an infecting microorganism and optimize antibiotic therapy.

Juri Gelovani, M.D., Ph.D.

Professor and Chair, Department of Experimental Diagnostic Imaging
A pioneer in the field of molecular-genetic imaging, Dr. Juri Gelovani is actively involved in research to develop and translate novel non-invasive molecular imaging approaches into clinical practice. He is interested in the development of innovative diagnostics, especially imaging technologies, that allow for early detection of cancer.

Patrick Hwu, M.D.

Professor and Chair, Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology
Dr. Hwu's research focuses on discovering new and more efficient approaches to stimulating the body’s immune system against cancer through the development of therapeutic vaccines. He is using melanoma tumors to study cancer vaccines, with the hope that he will be able to apply this knowledge to other cancers, eventually using vaccines in combination with chemotherapy drugs and targeted therapies.

Jean-Pierre Issa, M.D.

Associate Professor, Department of Leukemia
Dr. Issa is actively involved in research on DNA methylation abnormalities in aging and cancer. His clinical interests include the rapid translation of basic research in the field of leukemia to the treatment of patients.

Yong-Jun Liu, M.D., Ph.D.

Professor and Chair, Department of Immunology
Dr. Yong-Jun Liu, chair of the Department of Immunology leads the new Center for Cancer Immunology Research at M. D. Anderson. He is a leading figure in immunology with extensive experience in immunological memory, B cell biology, dendritic cell biology, T cell biology, cytokine biology and innate immunity.  

Alexandre V. Prokhorov, M.D., Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Department of Behavioral Science
Dr. Prokhorov’s work focuses on tobacco prevention and cessation in youth and adult populations, with a special emphasis on the use of multimedia for intervention and education.

Jill M. Schumacher, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Department of Molecular Genetics
Dr. Schumacher is a recognized expert on C. elegans, a soil nematode that has been an important genetic model for more than 30 years. C. elegans is ideal for the study of early embryology and cell division. She is especially interested in the proteins, AIR-1 and AIR-2, and the further insights they may provide into the cell biology of mitosis and cytokinesis.

Karen M. Vasquez, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Department of Carcinogenesis, Science Park-Research Division
Dr. Vasquez is involved in research to explain the molecular mechanisms of DNA damage recognition, and the role of unusual DNA structures in genomic instability and DNA repair. As a recent recipient of research funding, Dr. Vasquez’s lab is developing methods to modify gene structure and function.

Kimberly S. Schluns, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Department of Immunology
Prior to arriving at M. D. Anderson, Dr. Schluns had demonstrated the requirements for growth factors in a viral immune response and in the re-growth of T cells after irradiation.  Her current research goal is to better understand the mechanisms that keep T killer cells alive and functioning. Since Dr. Schluns has previously shown that Interleukin-15 (IL-15) is an important factor in the generation of memory T killer cells, she wants to continue studying how IL-15 works with hopes that the knowledge can be utilized in the development of vaccines. 

Cheng Dong, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Department of Immunology
With a background in molecular immunology, Dr. Dong has expertise in the study of T lymphocytes in immune responses and diseases. His research focuses on discovering novel mechanisms of T lymphocyte regulation, which may provide new approaches to educate these important immune cells to fight against cancer. Dr. Dong and his research team are employing molecular biology and animal models to study immune tolerance and tumor immunity. The principles they learn about T lymphocyte regulation will hopefully be applied to treatment of various cancers.

The Impact of Your Gift

Good science is a long journey, and the perpetual funding provided by endowed funds sustains the momentum of that journey of discovery.

Donate Now

You may designate the George and Barbara Bush Endowment for your gift by writing it in under "Please use my gift for..." on the Online Donation Form.