Originally published in UCLA Health’s U Magazine
Some of the most powerful changes in medicine have come about following a tragedy. In 1997, Ronald S. Hirshberg died from pancreatic cancer at the age of 54. That year, his wife, Agi Hirshberg, dedicated herself to advancing pancreatic-cancer research by establishing the Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research in memory of her late husband. As the first beneficiary of the foundation’s giving, UCLA established the Ronald S. Hirshberg Translational Pancreatic Cancer Research Laboratory in 1998, and the Ronald S. Hirshberg Chair in Translational Pancreatic Cancer Research in 2000. The relationship was further solidified in 2015 following new philanthropic support from the Hirshberg Foundation, which launched the UCLA Agi Hirshberg Center for Pancreatic Diseases.
"The Hirshberg Foundation’s generosity has helped elevate the UCLA Hirshberg Center to one of the nation’s premier, comprehensive programs for pancreatic cancer and diseases," said Dr. 0. Joe Hines (RES ’97), director of the UCLA Agi Hirshberg Center for Pancreatic Diseases, interim chair of the Department of Surgery and Robert and Kelly Day Chair in General Surgery. "From the very beginning, Agi and her family and team at the foundation vowed to raise sorely needed funds for research to broaden treatment options and give hope to pancreatic-cancer patients. She continues to advocate for change and her dedication inspires physicians, researchers, patients and their families."
Twenty-five years ago, the Hirshberg Foundation was the only organization of its kind focused solely on finding a cure for this devastating disease. Since then, the partnership between UCLA and the Hirshberg Foundation has driven advances in the understanding and treatment
of pancreatic cancer for the benefit of thousands of patients and their families. Through a wide range of activities, including fund raising, education, advocacy and patient support, this remarkable collaboration has opened the door to countless discoveries and shaped the future of pancreatic cancer treatment.
In 2022, the American Cancer Society reported an increase in the five-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer to 11%, up from 6% just 10 years ago. This tremendous progress speaks to the vision and determination of the Hirshberg Foundation to provide funding for high-impact investigations, and of the UCLA faculty who pursue innovative avenues of research.
The Hirshberg Foundation Seed Grant Program is one such area that has benefited from the foundation’s funding. Directed by Dr. Vay Liang W. Go, Distinguished Professor of Medicine in the UCLA Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases and co-director of the UCLA Agi Hirshberg Center for Pancreatic Diseases, the program fosters leading-edge research on a global level by providing strategic investments in research that enable investigators to gather preliminary data that can then be used to apply for larger grants.
"Seed funding supports highly innovative research projects that are not usually funded by government agencies," said Dr. Go. "Agi understands this and is a valued partner in our work. Philanthropic support of this kind for early research is indispensable to investigations that have the potential to make a profound impact on this disease and create a roadmap toward better treatments and, one day, a cure."
Since 2005, 104 seed grants have been awarded to 40 medical-research institutions in the United States and internationally, resulting in myriad discoveries and approximately $130 million in National Institutes of Health funding. UCLA is a partner in administering these grants and about 30 UCLA research projects have benefited from this support through the years.
The foundation also has invested in the UCLA Pancreatic Tissue Bank, a vital resource for pancreatic disease researchers at UCLA and the wider scientific community; an annual symposium that brings together patients and families with leading researchers; and psychosocial support to those impacted by cancer and their families at no cost to patients at the Simms/Mann-UCLA Center for Integrative Oncology. The Hirshberg Foundation’s 25th Annual LA Cancer Challenge 5K walk/run, which to date has raised more than $10.1* million mostly directed to UCLA for pancreatic cancer research, was held at UCLA in October.
"Since establishing the foundation 25 years ago, we have been unwavering in our mission to be relentless in finding new ways to address and heal pancreatic cancer. Our partnership with UCLA has amplified our ability to move the needle in research and ways to help pancreatic cancer patients."
"Since establishing the foundation 25 years ago, we have been unwavering in our mission to be relentless in finding new ways to address and heal pancreatic cancer," said Hirshberg. "Our partnership with UCLA has amplified our ability to move the needle in research and ways to help pancreatic cancer patients."
The special collaboration between UCLA and the Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research has laid the groundwork for a model in which the needs of people with pancreatic cancer are met in one location with the most advanced treatment options available. In addition to accelerating the pace of medical discovery, the foundation also has raised awareness of the disease and supports patients and their families at all stages of treatment and survivorship by disseminating information and providing resources. Construction of a new, state-of-the-art home for the UCLA Hirshberg Center in the Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Medical Building is in progress.
"My husband, Ron, always thought a problem was an invitation: ‘No’ meant ‘maybe’ and ‘maybe’ meant ‘yes.’ It is with this strong determination that he battled cancer, and it is still the way the foundation will continue Ron’s fight to win the battle against pancreatic cancer," said Hirshberg. "I know the crucial role philanthropy plays in fueling pioneering thinking and research and I am so proud of what the foundation’s partnership with UCLA has accomplished. With our shared purpose, I am certain this is only the beginning of what we can do together."
*Originally published with the pre-25th LA Cancer Challenge figure of $9.6 million