The Power to Transform Patient Care

Recent Gifts from Donors with Vision – and Compassion

Honoring a Champion of Holistic Cancer Care

Since 1997, the Abramson Family Foundation has worked in partnership with the University of Pennsylvania to transform cancer care and research. As former Abramson Cancer Center Director John H. Glick, MD, recalls, “Madlyn Abramson was an inspiration to all in the cancer community by giving back to help others. She wanted every patient facing cancer to be cared for throughout their journey, from diagnosis to survivorship — and beyond their immediate medical needs.”

That first transformative gift establishing the Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute has been followed by additional commitments which total more than $163 million, including a new generous $10 million investment in the Abramson Cancer Center’s research enterprise. In recognition of this most recent gift, the main lobby of the Pavilion will be named The Madlyn K. Abramson Lobby in honor of Madlyn K. Abramson, ED’57, GED’60, and Penn Emeritus Trustee, who passed away in 2020. A place of respite and comfort for all Penn’s patients and families – and home to Decoding the Tree of Life, a sculpture designed by world-renowned artist Maya Lin – this space truly reflects the vision of compassionate care held by its beloved namesake.

Beyond attracting top scientists to Penn – which included immunotherapy pioneer Carl H. June, MD, the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy – the Abramson Family Foundation’s philanthropy focused on recruitment of the best and brightest clinicians, social workers, psychiatrists, and nutritionists who would take cancer care to the next level. Indeed, it is Madlyn and the Abramson Foundation’s vision that helped create a patient-centered national model that remains strong today.

“For decades and continuing today, Madlyn is such an important guide for everything we do,” says Robert H. Vonderheide, MD, DPhil, the John H. Glick, MD Abramson Cancer Center Director’s Professor and director of the Abramson Cancer Center. “What the Abramson Family Foundation has done for patients around the world, through our research, is revolutionary. That impact only will grow stronger over the generations to come.”

J. Larry Jameson, MD, PhD, executive vice president of the University of Pennsylvania for the Health System and dean of the Perelman School of Medicine, says, “The Abramson family’s dedication to our institution, our research and care teams, and – most importantly – our patients, has led to the day when we can speak the word, ‘cure.’”

“Madlyn was a believer in the power of our faculty and staff’s bold ideas and compassion. Inside the Pavilion and across every part of our health system, we are working together to build on the momentum she helped launch,” shares Kevin B. Mahoney, CEO of the University of Pennsylvania Health System.

Finding the Keys to Treating Autoimmune Disease

Judy and Stewart Colton, W’62, are on a mission: to help researchers better understand autoimmune disease and accelerate the development of much-needed new therapies. Autoimmune diseases, where the body’s immune system attacks healthy cells, impact more than 23.5 million Americans, and, as Stewart Colton explains, “Finding the keys to autoimmune disease is one of the most vexing challenges in science.”

When they announced their $10 million gift to establish the Colton Center for Autoimmunity at Penn – their third such center in the nation – the Coltons spoke of the “hope that this joint effort across all three world-renowned institutions will not only accelerate awareness for autoimmunity, but also drive further innovative research.”

Penn’s culture of interdisciplinary, cross-campus collaboration and its decades of investment in translational medicine position this new Colton Center to bring discoveries into first-in-human clinical trials. Further complementing the strengths of the NYU and Yale Colton Centers is Penn’s massive community of immunologists, the momentum behind immune health research, and the ability to produce cellular therapies in-house.

In its first year, the Colton Center at Penn will prioritize investment in human talent, deep immune profiling, and big data capacity, as well as fund up to three pilot grants. Exceptional trainees will be recognized with newly established honors: the Colton Scholar Award and the Colton Fellow Award. By building a coalition among leaders at the three Colton Centers, there will be opportunities to design and implement “Dream Team” research projects.

“We are proud that Judy and Stewart Colton chose Penn to be home to this new center and are confident it will drive a significant impact on patients and families facing autoimmune disease,” says Colton Center Director E. John Wherry, PhD, the Richard and Barbara Schiffrin President's Distinguished Professor, chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, and director of the Penn Institute for Immunology. “We excel in developing ‘science in patients’ and bringing their outcomes back to the bench, and I’m very excited to be part of this new alliance against autoimmune disease.”

Laying a New Road to Recovery from Neurovascular Disorders

When talking about the James and Agnes Kim Family Foundation’s $25 million gift to the University of Pennsylvania and Penn Medicine, proud alumnus James Joo-Jin Kim, W’59, G’61, GR’63, explained, “It is with great pride that our family gives this gift. The knowledge and character I gained at Penn helped to pave the road to my success, and I hope this gift helps to pave that road for others.”

The Kim Family Foundation’s total commitment includes $10 million to launch the Kim Family Neurovascular Surgery Program at Penn Medicine – easing the road to recovery and function for patients after stroke, brain hemorrhage, aneurysms, and other cerebral vascular malformations. “We are excited that the Kim Family Neurovascular Surgery Program will enable technological and medical advancements that will improve patients’ quality of life,” says Kim.

This funding allows the Department of Neurosurgery to establish a comprehensive platform to facilitate development of new technologies for the treatment of neurovascular disorders – from initial design to translation into patient care. In addition to a neurovascular innovation lab, the Kim Foundation’s gift will secure an endowed professorship in cerebrovascular surgery, giving Penn Medicine a powerful tool to recruit and retain top talent and expand their impact.

“I am so grateful to Jim, Agnes, and Susan Kim for their vision and generosity,” says Daniel Yoshor, MD, the Charles Harrison Frazier Professor and chair of the Department of Neurosurgery. “The Kims truly understand that technology has the great power to improve people’s lives, and the Kim Family Program will allow us to build upon Penn’s expertise across the neurosciences, engineering, robotics, nanotechnology, and cellular and molecular biology. It’s imperative to create much-needed improvements in outcomes for patients, and we’re now on the path to approaches that can preserve or restore neurological function.”

Redefining Care for a Rare Disorder

After a long and successful career at Goldman Sachs, Michael Armellino, W’61, put his sights on using his wealth and experience to improve lives – and began a partnership that will redefine care, research, and the quality of life for those with the rare genetic disorder known as Williams syndrome.

“Most who are familiar with Williams syndrome describe it largely as a pediatric disorder,” Armellino says. “There are few places that offer care into adulthood, and the complexity of physical and psychological symptoms require coordination that is difficult to find at one institution. I wanted to help create a ‘front door’ for families affected by Williams syndrome – a center that could sustain itself while pushing the very leading edge of care and science.”

This was a need Daniel Rader, MD – the Seymour Gray Professor of Molecular Medicine, chair of Genetics, chief of the Division of Translational Medicine and Human Genetics in the Department of Medicine, chief of the Division of Human Genetics and Metabolic Disease Program at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia – identified five years ago. Now those efforts, fueled by a physical campus that promotes collaboration and a long-standing clinic already at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, have found their greatest champion. Launched with a gift of $25 million, the Armellino Center for Excellence for Williams Syndrome aims to do nothing less than become the nation’s home for superlative care and support for patients and their families.

Williams syndrome affects one in every 7,500 people: hundreds of thousands of children and adults across the world who may experience intellectual disability, cardiovascular disease, and a variety of other medical conditions. Many of their psychological, developmental, and long-term care needs are not traditionally met as part of the reimbursable health care model.

Armellino’s gift means patients will have access to psychological and psychiatric support as they age through adolescence and into adulthood; physical and occupational therapy; social skills and job training; and assistance with government benefits, schooling and aftercare, and identifying long term support.

At the same time, the Armellino Center will complement the Williams Syndrome Association’s efforts to build a nationwide registry of patient information, as well as create a robust biobank to advance deeper research on Williams syndrome genetics. The Armellino Center is already at work recruiting a world-class expert to provide leadership over the Center’s comprehensive clinical and research programs.

“Mike Armellino has a deep understanding of the challenges facing Williams syndrome research and care, and we are grateful for this powerful vote of confidence in what Penn can achieve,” says Rader. “There’s a lot we can take from our other successful models in genetic and rare disease research, so when that’s coupled with a visionary approach to comprehensive care, the Armellino Center for Excellence for Williams Syndrome will radically change what is possible for these families.”