Governor Perdue Announces NCI Cancer Center Designation for Emory's Winship Cancer Institute
Monday, April 13, 2009 |
Contact: Office of Communications 404-651-7774, Vince Dollard, (Emory) 404-778-4580, Sarah Goodwin, (Emory) 404-727-3366
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Winship’s NCI designation will benefit patients through increased access to new clinical trials and technologies that are available through NCI-designated cancer centers.
“We are very proud of Emory’s Winship Cancer Institute for achieving this important designation,” said Governor Perdue. “Cancer strikes more than 35,000 Georgians each year, and through initiatives like the Georgia Cancer Coalition and the Georgia Research Alliance (GRA), we are working hard to eliminate this disease. Winship has served as a model in establishing collaborative research programs and in working statewide to address the pressing issues related to treatment, education and access to care for cancer patients.”
As an NCI-designated center, Winship will receive more than $4.2 million in funding over the next three years to grow scientific research. The NCI will then review Emory’s designation for a five-year renewal. According to the NCI, a designated cancer center’s research components are the core of a much larger assembly of cancer activities, including clinical care, support services and education, extending the benefits of research directly to patients, their families, and the general public.
“This designation is a tremendous honor and a reflection of the hard work and dedication that is exhibited by faculty and staff throughout the Emory system,” said Brian Leyland-Jones, MD, PhD, executive director of Winship, associate vice president for health affairs for the
James Wagner, president of
The Winship Cancer Institute is part of Emory’s
Fred Sanfilippo, MD, PhD, Emory executive vice president for health affairs and CEO of the
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The Winship Cancer Institute was established in 1937 through a $50,000 gift to Emory from Coca Cola CEO Robert Woodruff, who named the center after his grandfather, Robert Winship. Woodruff’s vision was for a center that focused on research, education and patient care. The Woodruff Foundation has continued to support Emory in achieving this vision, and in 2002 Emory dedicated the 275,000 square-foot Winship Cancer Institute building, constructed with funds from the Woodruff Foundation and designed to facilitate development of new and more effective cancer treatments.
Leyland-Jones maintains this historical perspective in his role as director of Winship.
“Robert Woodruff’s vision – that no one should have to leave
Recently, Emory was recognized as one of the top 50 cancer centers in the
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