Research

The research mission of the Foundation focuses on the biology, early diagnosis, treatment and prevention of pancreatic cancer.

Our research investment began in 1997 when Founder Agi Hirshberg launched a collaboration at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). The Foundation established two channels for basic and translational research at UCLA, followed by the UCLA Pancreas Tissue Bank.

We expanded our research mission in 2000, launching our Seed Grant Program, opening opportunities to investigators from major cancer centers across the country. We have provided millions of dollars to fund promising research projects – involving the molecular mechanism of pancreatic cancer, early diagnosis, surgical and chemotherapeutic management, psychosocial approaches, and prevention strategies – from Cambridge to Tel Aviv.

The foundation has a voice in the global conversation about pancreatic cancer. We sponsor symposiums at international meetings of the American Pancreatic Association and at the joint meeting of the Japan Pancreas Society and International Association of Pancreatology. The annual Agi Hirshberg Symposium is an intimate forum where patients can engage in dialogue with scientists and clinicians.

In 2015, UCLA celebrated the naming of the UCLA Agi Hirshberg Center for Pancreatic Diseases. The clinical, educational, and research programs are housed and integrated in the Center. Funding from the Hirshberg Foundation has elevated the UCLA center to one of the nation’s premier comprehensive programs for pancreatic cancer and diseases, and it 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.