Cancer Center Receives $1.25 Million Gift From the Betty Ajces Trust

The Stony Brook Cancer Center has received a $1.25 million gift from the Betty Ajces Trust designated for the Leon & Betty Ajces Memorial Fund, which will enhance clinical trials and research at the center.

This is the second gift from the Betty Ajces Trust to the Stony Brook Cancer Center. In 2023, the Leon and Betty Ajces Memorial Fund was established to support the Stony Brook University Cancer Center Food Pantry and ovarian cancer research. This latest gift will support the prevention, treatment or cure of cancer through clinical trials and research at the Cancer Center.

"Our scientific medical officer and I are impressed with all of the research being done at the Cancer Center," said Alan E. Weiner, trustee of the Betty Ajces Trust and longtime family friend of the Ajces family. "We are pleased to support the work being done at the Stony Brook Cancer Center."

"We are grateful for the Betty Ajces Trust's contribution to fuel the momentum of the Cancer Center," said Yusuf A. Hannun, MD, director of the Stony Brook Cancer Center. "The support this gift provides will have a significant impact on the study and practice of cancer medicine - both in Suffolk County and around the world."

The Cancer Center offers advanced treatment and prevention programs with innovative therapies and clinical trials for adults and children. It provides an expanded state-of-the-art space that allows for privacy and any special needs for patients and their families, as well as leading-edge technology and specialized care teams - including nurse navigators.

"This gift from the Betty Ajces Trust will help build our strengths in cancer medicine research," said Renaissance School of Medicine Knapp Dean Peter Igarashi, MD. "By investing in research and clinical trials, we can accelerate the discovery-to-implementation process and improve the health outcomes of our patients and communities."

Read the full story by Christine McGrath at SB Matters.