Johns Hopkins & You / Supporting Research
Supporting Johns Hopkins Research
Why Support Our Research?
While all efforts to advance our understanding of pancreas cancer are proceeding at a record pace, we have more leads than we have resources to pursue them. Financial support is needed to continue these efforts.
Some people give donations directly, some leave money to Johns Hopkins as a bequeath, and some ask that donations be sent in lieu of flowers. Each donation helps us explore new avenues of research, and each is a poignant reminder of the human cost of this disease.
Importantly, this private giving has provided us with the opportunity to
make real advances in our understanding of pancreas cancer and it has
provided critical support to our young investigators. Those of you wishing
to support pancreas cancer research at Johns Hopkins may do so by sending
your tax-deductible contribution payable to The Johns Hopkins University
to:
Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions
401 North Broadway, Weinberg 2242
Baltimore, MD 21231-2410
A number of you have asked us to spell out exactly where these donations go. We do not use the donations to support fundraising or other administrative efforts. Instead, 80% of each donation goes directly to support pancreatic cancer science--particularly our young investigators. These young investigators have wonderful creative ideas and they are at a point in their careers at which private giving can help convince them to join the battle against pancreatic cancer. For example, Drs. Maitra and Iacobuzio-Donahue were both able to start their careers in pancreatic cancer research because of donations given by the users of this Web site. Both doctors now both have independent grant support from the Federal Government, demonstrating how your donations can have a significant long-term impact on our battle against pancreatic cancer.
The remaining 20% of your donation goes to the Dean's office here at Hopkins. The Dean's Office supplies infrastructure support to the pancreatic cancer research labs (things such as paper towels, lighting, heating for the building, lab space, etc).
If you have any other questions about how you can help support pancreas cancer research, do not hesitate to give us a call: 410-955-9132.
In Lieu of Flowers
We receive a number of donations in lieu of flowers. This is a wonderful way to both honor a loved one and to help fight this terrible disease. These donations are made at very difficult times, and we therefore want to simplify the process. If you have lost a loved one and would like donations sent to Hopkins to help battle this disease in lieu of flowers, all you need to do is:
- Ask the donor to:
- Make donations payable to: "Johns Hopkins University."
- Indicate on the memo line of the check the name of the
individual in whose memory the donation is being made.
- Mail the donation to:
Ralph H. Hruban, M.D.
Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions
401 North Broadway, Weinberg 2242
Baltimore, MD 21231-2410
- Make donations payable to: "Johns Hopkins University."
- Please include the name and address of where
you would like acknowledgments to be sent (or you may call our office at
410-955-9132).
When we receive memorial donations, we send a thank you to the donor and we also send a complete list of the names and address of the donors to the relative of the deceased.
We realize that the death of a loved one is extremely difficult. We hope these simplified instructions will help those of you who wish to honor your loved one with bequests to Johns Hopkins for pancreas cancer research.
Creating a Named Endowment for Pancreatic Cancer Research
Research requires money, and although most of the support for medical research comes from the federal government via the National Institutes of Health (NIH), it is private philanthropy that can provide the margin of excellence to a research enterprise. Private funds are flexible and can be deployed quickly to take advantage of new ideas and new people. Private funds also can form a constant base for faculty support upon which grant support can be superimposed. Private funds are particularly needed to support research on pancreatic cancer. This is because pancreatic cancer research is woefully underfunded by the NIH. There have been several examples of private giving having a significant impact on a cancer. For example, the Clayton Fund in Basic Colon Cancer Research has laid the foundation for the remarkable success of the colon cancer research team here at Hopkins. Thanks to the Clayton Fund, many of the most significant discoveries in cancer biology in the last decade were made by the colon cancer team at Johns Hopkins (Bert Vogelstein who leads this team is now the most cited scientist in all of science).
Just as the Clayton Fund has had an impact on our understanding of colon cancer, so too would the establishment of a Fund for pancreatic cancer research have a fundamental impact on the fight against pancreatic cancer.
Endowments are wonderful ways to honor a loved one. Once established, the principal of the endowment is invested by the University. A portion of the income generated each year is reinvested to insure the long-term growth of the Fund. The remainder of the income generated is given to the scientists to support their research.
(Endowments start at $100,000. A plaque is placed in the research labs honoring the donor. If they reach the $10 million level, then the endowment can be used to name a research center).
Endowed Chair for Pancreatic Cancer Research
"Everything that is really great and inspiring
is created by the individual who can labor in freedom"
Albert
Einstein
The last five years have brought remarkable advances to our
understanding of the genetics of pancreatic cancer. Indeed, at the
genetic level, cancer of the pancreas is currently among the better
characterized neoplasms. This growing understanding of the genetics of
pancreatic cancer will form the basis of new screening and diagnostic
tests for the early detection of pancreatic cancer; they are used to
identify patients at risk for familial forms of pancreatic cancer; and
they can be used to characterize even the most subtle pathologic changes,
thereby advancing our understanding of early pancreatic neoplasia. In
addition, and most importantly, an understanding of the genetic changes
associated with the development of pancreatic cancer will form the
foundation for developing novel, rational, gene-based therapies for
pancreatic cancer.
The establishment of an endowed chair for pancreatic cancer
research would allow us to pursue high-risk research work. We believe
this work will advance our understanding of pancreatic cancer, not by
small steps, but instead by leaps and bounds. All to often, scientists
focus their efforts on "evolutionary" work because it is safer, and more
of a sure bet. Endowed chairs allow scientists such to pursue
revolutionary work. In addition named chairs are a wonderful way of
permanently honoring the donor.
The cost for a named endowed chair is approximately $2.3 million.
"The principal mark
of genius is not perfection, but originality, the opening of new
frontiers."
Arthur Koestler
Physicians and scientists must make critical decisions when they come to
the end of their standard training. They must decide whether or not to
pursue an academic career in research. Those who choose a career in
research must then choose a sub-specialty area on which to focus their
research efforts. These critical career choices are often made for rather
trivial reasons. Countless physicians and scientists with enormous
potential have chosen not pursue an academic research career because of a
lack of a secure fellowship program.
At the same time, young minds are the most creative minds. Human
creativity peaks at a rather young age; as our fund of knowledge increases
our creativity paradoxically decreases. Indeed, some of the major new
ideas in cancer research in the last several years have come from young
scientists in their training. For example, Victor Velculescu here at
Johns Hopkins created the idea for the revolutionary technology of serial
analysis of gene expression (SAGE). Victor did this while he was a
post-doctoral student in the Johns Hopkins cancer research laboratories.
We propose to create an endowed fellowship training program in
pancreatic cancer research at Hopkins. This program will provide secured
funding to young scientists and physicians wishing to pursue a career in
pancreatic cancer research. The research fellowship program will not be a
standard fellowship program. Instead it will take advantage of and most
importantly encourage the creativity of the trainees. The fellow will not
be a mere technician following detailed instructions from a mentor.
Instead, the fellows will be given extensive free time and the fellowship
will be focused on creating novel new technologies which can be applied to
cancer research and on identifying new technologies, developed in other
fields, which can be applied to pancreatic cancer research.
This approach will bring more minds to the battle against
pancreatic cancer. Furthermore, the focus on creative spark will mean
that our understanding will advance not in safe yet small steps, but
rather in daring leaps.
BUDGET
| 1 Fellow (1 year X $50,000/year) | $50,000 |
| 1 Fellow (2 years X $50,000/year) | $100,000 (most Fellowships last 2 years) |
| Endowed Fellowship | $1,700,000 |
Planned Giving
A number of people have asked how they can make a bequest and about other forms of planned giving. Planned giving can be a wonderful way to support pancreatic cancer research. Depending on the arrangements you choose you can also:1) Reduce your income taxes,
2) Get more favorable capital gains tax treatment,
3) Increase your spendable income,
4) Retain payments for life, and
5) Achieve no-cost, worry-free asset management.
To learn more about planned giving opportunities visit http://jhu.plannedgifts.org/ways_to_give.html or contact the Planned Giving Office at Johns Hopkins:
Kathleen McNally
Gift Planning Advisor
Phone: (410) 516-7954 or (800) 548-1268
Special Fundraisers
There have been special events organized by family members of those afflicted with pancreas cancer to raise money for pancreatic research at Hopkins. Early visitors to the discussion board organized a major fundraising event, "Evening with the Stars", which raised over $100,000 to assist in starting a new laboratory at Hopkins. Now, a number of families, including the Rolfe, Zgonina and Monastra families, have organized fundraisers to benefit the pancreatic cancer reseacrh program here at Johns Hopkins. [more details]
What Your Donation Buys
| One human gene contained within a cloning vector | $10 | |
| Membranes for screening new genes | $15 | |
| Reagents needed to isolate DNA from a patients' blood sample | $20 | |
| A pair of PCR primers used to amplify one gene | $30 | |
| Bacterial clone containing tumor-related gene | $30 | |
| Vials for freezing tumor samples | $35 | |
| Enzyme to precisely cut DNA | $40 | |
| Scalpel blades for dissection of tumor samples | $55 | |
| Enzyme to join DNA fragments | $60 | |
| Updates to lab manual | $70 | |
| Flasks for growing tumor cells | $75 | |
| Radiolabel used to label DNA for sequencing and probing | $100 | |
| Tumor cell line | $100 | |
| Gel mix used to resolve DNA on gels | $100 | |
| A vial of enzyme to modify or amplify DNA | $100 | |
| Serum to grow cancer cells | $130 | |
| DNA purification kit | $150 | |
| Reagents to introduce genes into cancer cells | $180 | |
| Purification kit for tumor-suppressor proteins | $230 | |
| X-ray film to detect DNA sequence of a gene | $270 | |
| Plates for drug-screening reactions | $380 | |
| Enzyme to amplify DNA from tumors | $400 | |
| DNA fragments to study a new gene | $500 | |
| Lab refrigerator used in ongoing experiments | $700 | |
| Digital camera for web page construction/updates | $800 | |
| Set of pipettes to measure chemical solutions | $900 | |
| Lab computer to access gene database | $1,800 | |
| Ultraviolet light and camera to visualize DNA | $2,000 | |
| Incubator for tumor cell culture | $2,700 | |
| Set of DNA sequencing apparatus | $3,800 | |
| Lab freezer | $5,000 | |
| Centrifuge for drug screens and purifications | $7,000 | |
| PCR machine to amplify DNA | $9,000 | |
| Drier for DNA gels and purifications | $12,000 | |
| Cancer Research Technician | $30,000/yr | |
| Drug library to screen for new therapeutics (19,000 drugs) | $38,000 | |
| Research fellow and supplies | $50,000/yr | |
| Named endowment | $100,000 and up | |
| Named endowed research fellowship | $1.7 million | |
| Named endowed chair for pancreas cancer research | $2.3 million | |
| Named endowed pancreas cancer center | $10 million | |
The monies raised through this Web page are distributed under the direction of Dr. Ralph Hruban, are used primarily by our young faculty (Drs. Goggins and Iacobuzio-Donahue), and primarily support our research on the early detection of pancreatic cancer, the familial aggregation of pancreatic cancer, gene expression in pancreatic cancer, and for the development of mouse models of pancreatic cancer. Donations also support pilot projects, the purchase of cutting edge technology and research by our resident and fellow trainees.