A Gift of Gratitude
$2.5 million Halpern Chair to support Winship's excellence in head and neck cancer research.
Lynne and Howard Halpern have made a $2.5 million planned gift to honor their friend and physician Dr. Fadlo R. Khuri and support the development of new therapies for head and neck cancers.
Lynne and Howard Halpern have made a $2.5 million planned gift to Winship Cancer Institute to recognize one of the country’s most accomplished head and neck cancer researchers and support the development of new therapies for these challenging cancers. The Lynne and Howard Halpern Chair in Head and Neck Cancer Research honors Dr. Fadlo R. Khuri and recognizes his role as deputy director of Winship and his leadership of the head and neck cancer program.
Howard Halpern’s successful treatment for cancer at Winship inspired this generous commitment. “Dr. Khuri and his team saved my life,” Halpern said about his beloved physician and friend. “Lynne and I can hardly express the depth of our gratitude for the extraordinary care we received at Winship. Our hope is that the gift of an endowed academic chair to support Dr. Khuri’s vital
Dr. Khuri is an internationally renowned expert in the prevention and treatment of head and neck and lung cancers. In addition to serving as Winship’s deputy director, he is a professor and chair of the Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology in the Emory School of Medicine and holds he Roberto C. Goizueta Distinguished Chair for Cancer Research. Prior to joining Winship, he was a faculty member at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.
The recipient of numerous awards, Dr. Khuri serves as editor-in-chief of Cancer and has published more than 200 peer reviewed articles. He has been the recipient of repeated competitive, peer-reviewed grant support from the National Cancer Institute, Department of Defense, and American Cancer Society over the last two decades. His research focuses on the development of molecular, prognostic, therapeutic, and chemopreventive approaches to improve the standard of care for patients with tobacco-related cancers.
The Lynne and Howard Halpern Chair in Head and Neck Cancer Research will give Dr. Khuri and his team even greaterability to pursue its research goals. An academic chair is the most prestigious of named academic positions at Emory University. It recognizes extraordinary achievement and leadership and is invaluable for recruiting and retaining top faculty members and researchers. Endowment income from an academic chair contributes, in perpetuity, to the recipient’s compensation, scholarly work, and professional activities.
Support of this kind is imperative in the face of increasing competition for talented scholars and investigators who can take Winship to the next level of medical expertise and advanced patient care. The Halpern Chair will ensure that thousands of students, patients, and researchers can benefit from Dr. Khuri’s knowledge, leadership, and achievements. It is an insightful investment in the pioneering work that continues to distinguish Winship’s multidisciplinary team of head and neck cancer physicians and scientists.
The team also has received a $12.5 million 5-year SPORE (Specialized Program of Research Excellence) grant from the National Cancer Institute—the first such research grant received in Georgia. The SPORE grant and the Halpern Chair commitment are testaments to Winship’s position as a national leader in research and patient care, particularly in aerodigestive cancers.
“Winship’s leadership, including leading local and national clinical trials, is particularly important in the face of recent NCI statistics showing that southeastern states have the highest rates of these cancers. In more than two-thirds of cases, the disease at diagnosis is already locally advanced, with a disappointing five-year survival rate after treatment with surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy. Our goal is to decrease the suffering, disability, and death caused by these diseases. The Halperns’ generous commitment will go a long way in supporting the development of new and improved treatments for patients with head and neck cancers in this era of personalized therapy and genomic medicine. I am profoundly grateful for their friendship and deeply humbled by their generosity,” said Dr. Khuri.
“As Lynne and I think about the legacy we want to leave, supporting cancer research at Winship is very important to us. We are so pleased to be able to do something to honor Fadlo Khuri and Winship,” Halpern said.
If you would like to know more about planned giving, please contact Olen Earl at 404.727.8875 or go to http://emory.edu/giftplanning.
