Natalie Jacobs loves serving as an ambassador to MD Anderson and says wearing the logo on her kit is especially meaningful. “It’s important for me to use my platform to promote healthy living, because that goes into every decision that we as athletes make every day,” she says. “Every decision that we make impacts us on the field. So, it's cool to be able to talk about the way that we can all help each other in making the right choices in our health and making that a priority.” To learn more, visit: MDAnderson.org/Soccer Request an appointment at MD Anderson by calling 1-877-632-6789 or online: https://My.MDAnderson.org/RequestAppointment
Philanthropy Newsroom
MD Anderson raises $1.8 million at A Conversation With a Living Legend® event honoring Taylor Sheridan
Award-winning film and television producer/director/writer Taylor Sheridan offered an intimate peek into his career, creative inspiration and personal life during a fireside chat Thursday night at A Conversation With a Living Legend® North Texas, an annual fundraising event benefiting The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
F. W. Bert and Mae Dean Wheeler Foundation establishes Nurse Leadership Academy at MD Anderson with $9 million gift
HOUSTON ― The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center today announced a $9 million gift from the F. W. Bert and Mae Dean Wheeler Foundation to establish the F. W. Bert and Mae Dean Wheeler Nurse Leadership Academy.
The Wheeler Foundation’s gift supports MD Anderson’s innovative efforts to cultivate the next generation of oncology nurse leaders as part of the Meyers Institute for Oncology Nursing. The Wheeler Nurse Leadership Academy will focus on providing the coaching and mentoring infrastructure to ensure nurses are equipped with the unique skills to position them as successful leaders.
“Nurses play a vital role in MD Anderson’s ability to deliver exceptional patient care. The Wheeler Nurse Leadership Academy is a powerful endorsement of our commitment to support and empower the 5,000+ incredible nurses who provide best-in-class cancer care to our patients every day,” said Peter WT Pisters, M.D., president of MD Anderson. “We are deeply grateful for the Wheeler Foundation’s generous gift and the many contributions to the nursing profession that will stem from this gift for years to come.”
Wheeler Nurse Leadership Academy
The Wheeler Nurse Leadership Academy will help nurses align their passion for clinical excellence with their desire for lifelong learning, social impact and work-life balance. The academy will solidify educational and leadership development opportunities for nurses at MD Anderson at every level of their career, empowering them to reach their personal and professional goals.
“Nurse leaders should be prominently represented across the institution, from the front line to the executive offices, to incorporate their unique perspectives,” said Kim Slusser, chief nursing officer ad interim and associate chief nursing officer at MD Anderson. “The Wheeler Nurse Leadership Academy will provide opportunities for our nurses to learn, develop and enhance their leadership skills, enabling them to reimagine their positions — and themselves — in new ways.”
The Wheeler Nurse Leadership Academy will work closely with MD Anderson’s Leadership Institute to create curriculum focused on the needs of oncology nurses throughout their nursing careers. The program will adopt a dynamic mix of learning approaches, including in-person sessions and virtual learning, complemented by self-directed study and mentorship opportunities.
With a strong emphasis on longitudinal learning, the curriculum will be structured to provide ongoing, progressive learning opportunities. The program also will bring external experts and specialists from various fields to provide fresh insights, innovative practices and an enriched learning environment.
Transforming the future of nursing
The Wheeler Nurse Leadership Academy is the latest addition to the Meyers Institute, which launched in 2023. The Meyers Institute represents a $50 million joint commitment by MD Anderson and the institute’s namesake, Howard Meyers, to advance the field of oncology nursing through a first-of-its-kind institute focused on educational, professional and wellness-based resources tailored to oncology nurses and nurse scientists.
Both the Wheeler Nurse Leadership Academy and the Meyers Institute build upon MD Anderson’s existing reputation as a premier institution for nursing. Since 2001, MD Anderson has earned five consecutive Magnet Recognition Program® designations from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, which recognizes health care organizations for superior patient outcomes, teamwork and innovations in professional nursing practice.
This designation contributes to MD Anderson’s consistent ranking among the nation’s top hospitals for cancer care in U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Hospitals” survey. With more than 5,000 registered nurses and the largest active cancer clinical trials program in the country, MD Anderson offers a unique, collaborative environment for nurses to lead in the administration of research and management of cancer care.
“MD Anderson is uniquely positioned to transform oncology nursing by driving industry change and improving the health care system at large,” said Rosanna Morris, senior vice president and chief operating officer at MD Anderson. “The Wheeler Nurse Leadership Academy is the next step in setting the nursing gold standard for cancer centers around the world.”
An enduring legacy of impact
“Bert and Mae Dean Wheeler believed in the power of education and the critical role that nurses play in health care,” said Donald A. Adam, president and chairman of the F. W. Bert and Mae Dean Wheeler Foundation. “This gifting opportunity is a meaningful tribute to their legacy, as they experienced firsthand the compassionate care of dedicated nurses later in life. The skilled professionals who cared for them enhanced their well-being and extended their lives. In keeping with their values, we are committed to stewarding the foundation funds in a way that honors the wishes of Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler and their enduring impact.”
ExxonMobil donates $10 million to fund MD Anderson-led Be Well™ Beaumont initiative
In an effort to improve public health and reduce cancer risk in East Texas, leaders in Beaumont are working with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center to launch Be Well™ Beaumont through a newly announced $10 million gift from ExxonMobil. Community members, collaborators and representatives from MD Anderson kicked off the 10-year initiative today in Beaumont.
Be Well Beaumont aims to promote wellness and to lower cancer risk among community members by providing them with cancer prevention education and tools. This builds on Be Well™ Baytown, MD Anderson’s inaugural program that has been supported by ExxonMobil since 2016. That initiative has reached more than 80% of residents, providing wellness strategies that have been implemented by 20 local organizations.
“The Baytown initiative demonstrated what can be achieved through effective community partnerships led by two world-class organizations,” said Darren Woods, ExxonMobil chairman and CEO. “It is driving meaningful health and wellness benefits and we’re proud to team up again with MD Anderson to bring the same program to Beaumont in support of our neighbors and employees in that community.”
Be Well Communities™, MD Anderson’s place-based strategy for comprehensive cancer prevention and control, unites individuals, schools, workplaces, government agencies, health care providers and policymakers to plan and carry out sustainable, community-led solutions that make positive, long-lasting changes in people’s lives.
“Cancer prevention is a cornerstone of our mission to end cancer,” said Peter WT Pisters, M.D., president of MD Anderson. “We are grateful for ExxonMobil’s continued support to implement life-changing programs in communities like Beaumont and Baytown, where we can directly impact cancer risk reduction and provide tangible differences for countless families.”
Research indicates that up to half of cancer cases can be prevented through consistent healthy lifestyle choices, including exercising, avoiding tobacco, limiting alcohol, eating a balanced diet, maintaining an appropriate weight, protecting your skin from the sun, completing cancer prevention vaccines, getting cancer screening exams and discussing your family history with your doctor.
New initiative informed by proven model of impact
MD Anderson’s Be Well Communities are built on 100 years of best practices, literature and experience in healthy community initiatives. The model centers on working with community-based organizations to build their capacity to deliver and evaluate evidence-based interventions.
Together with ExxonMobil, MD Anderson aims to create strong community linkages, to advance professional and policy changes, to establish an active health coalition, and to create a sustainability plan to transition the initiative to the community.
“It is a privilege to have the opportunity to work with leaders across Beaumont to implement collaborative change in the way people work, eat and play,” said Ruth Rechis, Ph.D., executive director ad interim of the cancer prevention and control platform at MD Anderson. “We are excited to get to know people in the community and cultivate strong and meaningful relationships.”
Program areas of focus for Be Well Beaumont may include:
Healthy eating: increasing the amount of healthy food distributed and providing nutrition education
Active living: increasing the percentage of students and adults engaged in physical activity and improving parks and outdoor spaces for safe physical activity
Sun safety: providing sun-safety education and installing sunshades across the city
Tobacco-free living: providing education on the harms of tobacco use and vaping
Preventive care: increasing access to cancer screenings and HPV vaccinations
Through the support of ExxonMobil’s $10 million commitment, Be Well Beaumont will be implemented over the next 10 years; leadership will transition to the community in 2034. More information is available here.
Energy Transfer and Sunoco donate $2 million to support pediatric cancer research at MD Anderson
HOUSTON ― The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center today announced a $2 million donation from Dallas-based Energy Transfer as a result of its 2024 workplace giving campaign. Funds raised through employee donations and corporate matching support pediatric cancer research at MD Anderson.
“The generous contributions from more than 1,200 Energy Transfer and Sunoco employees across the country is truly remarkable,” said Richard Gorlick, M.D., division head and chair of Pediatrics at MD Anderson. “Through the dedicated support of these committed employees, we can fund important clinical trials that make a significant difference in the lives of pediatric cancer patients now and in the future.”
Since 2014, Energy Transfer and Sunoco employees have led fundraising efforts that have donated more than $17 million to MD Anderson. The annual campaign includes contributions from corporate funds and more than $1 million from the Energy Transfer/Sunoco Foundation. All funds will support pediatric cancer research at MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital.
“Energy Transfer and Sunoco employees are proud to continue their support of MD Anderson and its mission to eliminate cancer through their exceptional research and treatment efforts,” said Chris Curia, chief human resources officer for Energy Transfer. “We continue to be inspired by the truly remarkable advances their research is bringing to the treatment of pediatric cancers and the differences being made in the lives of children and their families.”
In October, representatives from MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital visited Energy Transfer’s headquarters in Dallas, Texas. The team met with Energy Transfer senior leaders, including Curia and Kelcy Warren, executive chairman, and Mackie McCrea, co-chief executive officer.
Gorlick shared many of the research breakthroughs made possible through Energy Transfer’s generosity over the past decade, including menin inhibitor research, which is particularly impactful for pediatric patients facing leukemia and other blood diseases.
Tanoto Foundation pledges $5 million to accelerate cell therapy discovery and innovation at MD Anderson
HOUSTON ― The Tanoto Foundation today pledged $5 million to The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center to support cell therapy discovery and innovation research. These funds will accelerate crucial preclinical and translational research of CRISPR gene-edited, TGF-beta resistant CD70-targeted armored chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) natural killer (NK) cell therapy for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), developed by Katy Rezvani, M.D., Ph.D., vice president of Cell Therapy, and her team.
“Our philanthropic efforts in medical research are focused on improving people’s health and lifespan through collaborative relationships and catalytic funding,” said Anderson Tanoto, a member of the foundation’s board of trustees. “We believe Dr. Rezvani and her team are poised to redefine the standard of care for patients around the world and this pledge further builds on our existing ongoing medical philanthropy initiatives in Asia.”
Drawing on its strong research infrastructure, disease expertise and diverse patient population, MD Anderson hosts active CAR NK cell trials for patients with AML and MDS, as well as those with multiple myeloma, lymphoma, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, renal cell carcinoma, pancreatic cancer, glioblastoma and osteosarcoma.
“Once-in-a-generation scientific advances require a high level of trust and support. On behalf of MD Anderson, I express my deepest gratitude to the Tanoto Foundation for its visionary support for cell therapy discovery and innovation research,” said Peter WT Pisters, M.D., president of MD Anderson. “Breakthroughs made here have the potential to benefit humanity for generations to come.”
Harnessing the power of NK cells to treat disease
MDS and AML are blood diseases characterized by an overproduction of immature blood cells that crowd out healthy cells.
Through groundbreaking research at MD Anderson, Rezvani and her team have developed and are furthering the study of an innovative treatment using engineered NK cells derived from donated umbilical cord blood.
NK cells are tumor-destroying immune cells that serve as a first line of defense against disease; however, cancer cells can make themselves difficult to detect or resistant to treatment. By genetically modifying the NK cells with CARs, which are designed to bind to specific proteins on the surface of cancer cells, the NK cells can find and eliminate target cancer cells more effectively. Rezvani’s laboratory multiplies the number of these engineered CAR NK cells, growing them in large numbers before infusing them into patients.
NK cell therapy is “off-the-shelf,” meaning it can be sourced from any healthy donor and given to any patient, without regard for most genetic matching parameters and without risk of graft-versus-host disease. This one-size-fits-all approach allows for production that can be scaled more easily and quickly than other forms of cell therapy.
MD Anderson is home to one of the country’s largest cord blood banks, offering an ample supply of donated umbilical cord blood from which the NK cells are derived. Cells collected from a single umbilical cord serve as the basis for over 100 therapeutic doses.
Building off success in treating blood cancers, MD Anderson’s researchers are now working to expand cell therapy’s application into solid tumors and autoimmune diseases.
“We are very grateful to the Tanoto Foundation for joining this endeavor to redefine the health care landscape for patients with AML, MDS and many other diseases,” Rezvani said. “Together, we are attracting global attention for this impactful research, and we aim to inspire others to join the mission to end cancer.”
Previous Stories
2024
Energy Transfer and Sunoco donate $2 million to support pediatric cancer research at MD Anderson
Brown Foundation Award for Excellence in Oncology Nursing honors Tiffany Richards
MD Anderson’s Boot Walk to End Cancer® raises $1.4 million
MD Anderson Board of Visitors celebrates growth and achievement
Michael Frumovitz, M.D., posthumously honored with Julie and Ben Rogers Award for Excellence
MD Anderson recognizes outstanding faculty
MD Anderson’s Andrew Sabin Family Fellows welcomes 2024 cohort
Belfer family’s $20 million donation invigorates neurodegeneration research at MD Anderson
Tennis greats Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova honored at A Conversation With a Living Legend®
Polo on the Prairie raises more than $1 million for MD Anderson
2023
Energy Transfer and Sunoco donate more than $2 million to support research at MD Anderson
Howard Meyers establishes Meyers Institute for Oncology Nursing with $25 million gift to MD Anderson
Excitement builds as participants prepare for MD Anderson’s Boot Walk to End Cancer®
Brown Foundation Award for Excellence in Oncology Nursing awarded to Agnes Hsu
MD Anderson Board of Visitors welcomes new members, honors new Life Members
Betty Kim, M.D., Ph.D., honored with Julie and Ben Rogers Award for Excellence
Celebration of Faculty Excellence honors extraordinary clinicians and researchers
MD Anderson announces 2023 class of Andrew Sabin Family Fellows
Howard and Susan Elias make $16.25 million gift to fund cancer neuroscience research at MD Anderson
Polo on the Prairie raises over $1 million for MD Anderson
Cancer survivor gives $10 million to speed translational research and clinical trials
MD Anderson prevention experts tackle smoking cessation in Corpus Christi
2022
Advanced practice nurse in Leukemia honored with $15,000 cash prize
Andrew Sabin Family Foundation doubles down on commitment to end cancer with $10M gift
Cancer survivors, supporters rally for in-person return of MD Anderson’s Boot Walk to End Cancer®
Timken Foundation advances mission to end cancer with $5 million gift to James P. Allison Institute
IBC Bank's Campaign to End Cancer Tops $2.2 Million
MD Anderson Board of Visitors welcomes new members
Annual awards recognize faculty for excellence in cancer research, clinical care and leadership
MD Anderson announces 2022 class of Andrew Sabin Family Fellows
$15,000 prize recognizes MD Anderson nursing administrator’s commitment to end cancer
H-E-B fundraising campaign raises $175,000
2022 McNair Scholar at MD Anderson Supported by $2.4 Million Gift from The McNair Foundation
McDougall family's $5 million gift brings new hope to those facing brain metastases
MD Anderson's Polo on the Prairie raises more than $1.1 million
2021
Myeloma Research supervisor honored with $15,000 cash prize
MD Anderson’s Boot Walk to End Cancer® raises funds for cancer research and patient programs
MD Anderson welcomes 28 new leaders to Board of Visitors
Kelly Nelson, M.D., honored with Julie and Ben Rogers Award for Excellence
State-wide campaign aims to top add to $5.8 million raised to-date for pediatric cancer programs
Early career researchers demonstrate commitment to innovation, mission to end cancer
Video Gallery
Patient & Supporter Stories
Three cancer survivors raise funds to support Colorado patients
From breast cancer patient to chair of MD Anderson’s Boot Walk to End Cancer®
Inflammatory breast cancer survivor finds hope at MD Anderson
Childhood brain tumor diagnosis fuels commitment to future generations
Chief Patient Experience Officer: My pancreatic cancer diagnosis gave me a new perspective
After two melanoma diagnoses, a family reflects on their experiences at MD Anderson
Kidney cancer survivor donates $10 million to advance cellular therapy
