From the December 2008 issue of UCHC e-Link and the fall 2008 issue of UConn Momentum.
A $100,000 gift will further breast cancer research at the Carole and Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center by allowing researchers to develop innovative techniques and novel research concepts that other funding streams might not initially support.
When Gregory Contas’s wife, Georgia, passed away from breast cancer in 2003, he felt strongly that much more could have been done to alleviate her suffering. To support programs to that end, Contas donated $100,000 in 2007 to enhance cancer-specific clinical trials at the UConn Health Center. He believes that access to the latest cancer-specific clinical trials might have made a significant difference in Georgia’s quality of life.
His new gift, which supports the Georgia Contas Fund for Breast Cancer Research, builds on a similar desire to improve the lives of patients with cancer through innovative research. The fund is designed to “seed” the initial research by providing financial support to develop novel concepts and research ideas. Based on this preliminary research, the researchers can apply for larger grants to support the continuation of the research on a larger scale.
“We operate in a very restrictive and competitive research funding environment. For scientists to have a better chance of attracting larger grants, there has to be a demonstration that novel ideas and research will work. Once the scientists have preliminary data, they stand a much better chance of obtaining more funding,” says Carolyn D. Runowicz, M.D., director of the Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center. “This is where philanthropy can play such a key role. We’re very grateful to Mr. Contas for his vision and continued support of our cancer center. To keep innovative ideas and research moving forward, private giving like his makes all the difference.”
One recent analysis found that investigators were ultimately awarded an average of $15 for every seed dollar received. This return on philanthropic investment has resulted in numerous grants and programs at the Health Center, including an extensive program for vaccine trials and cancer research.
“If my gift helps bring a promising research project to fruition, I’ll be very pleased,” says Contas. “We often look at issues as large as cancer and wonder how we individually can make a difference. I’m not a clinician and I’m not a researcher. But I can do this for the future, and I hope others will consider doing the same. We’ve all seen how cancer can touch our lives, but we can also see how some of our best efforts are being devoted to beating it.”
For more information about supporting the UConn Health Center, please refer to the development staff listing available on our Contact Us page.
