Stories of your support

Thanks to the generosity of alumni and friends, UMass Chan Medical School is establishing endowed chairs at a steady pace, bringing the total number to 63.

Thanks to the generosity of alumni, parents and friends, this year an all-time high of 21 new scholarships were established, surpassing the previous record of 11 set just last year.

In keeping with longstanding UMass Chan Medical School tradition, all classes celebrating reunion honored the occasion by generously donating to their respective class scholarship funds.

UMass Chan Medical School is advancing gene therapy research of two fatal, ultra-rare genetic disorders—Cockayne syndrome and UBA5—with help from family-driven funding partnerships. Researchers will harness the Medical School’s unique expertise in molecular therapeutics, which includes groundbreaking work on neurological diseases such as ALS, Tay-Sachs and Huntington’s, to develop treatments for these devastating disorders.

Since launching in 2019, the Jake Kennedy ALS Fund has raised more than $500,000 to support groundbreaking ALS research at UMass Chan Medical School. For the family behind the fund, this milestone carries deep personal meaning, and brings hope of effective treatment for this progressive and ultimately fatal neurological disease.

An aggressive and devastating childhood cancer, neuroblastoma is a major challenge in pediatric oncology. UMass Chan Medical School’s Jason Shohet, MD, PhD, is tackling the disease head on through a new, two-year $300,000 Scholar Hope Grant from Hyundai Hope On Wheels. Specifically, Dr. Shohet is focused on developing more effective and less toxic treatments for the deadly cancer.

On Aug. 30, 2021, UMass Chan Medical School lost a cherished colleague with the passing of Robert W. Finberg, MD. Dr. Finberg’s distinguished career as a physician-scientist, administrator, educator, mentor, and friend spanned four decades. He was Chair of the Department of Medicine at UMass Chan for 21 years and a faculty member in the Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, the Program in Innate Immunity and the Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems.

After topping the $1 million mark in lifetime contributions in FY 19, the J.T. Tai & Co. Foundation continues to generously support scholarships for UMass Chan Medical School students.

Recognizing UMass Chan Medical School’s importance to Worcester and excellence as a center of medical research and education, Michael and Carol Sleeper are longtime supporters. The family renewed their commitment this year by establishing the Michael and Carol Sleeper Family Fund, dedicated to student scholarships at the T.H. Chan School of Medicine.

For over a decade, teams of runners have faced the notoriously challenging, 26.2-mile racecourse to support groundbreaking ALS research at UMass Chan. Thanks to both the runners and their supporters, who are often family and friends making smaller donations, this important fundraising vehicle has brought in more than $600,000.

In 2022, Dr. Anthony Wilson established the Jay A. Sorgman, MD'87, Memorial Scholarship to support UMass Chan medical students with financial need.

For the first time in its 23-year history, the 2021 UMass Cancer Walk and Run took place at a new location and its main objective remained as clear and strong as ever—to raise funds supporting adult and pediatric cancer research and care, and clinical trials of potentially life-saving therapies underway at UMass Chan Medical School.