2022 Highlights in Philanthropy
A Fellowship to Remember a Heroic Patient
IU School of Medicine is known around the world for developing the chemotherapy regimen that raised the cure rate for metastatic testis cancer from 5 percent to 80 percent. The first person ever to be cured with it was John Cleland, who recently passed away—47 years after his initial cancer diagnosis. John agreed to try the new combination after previous efforts with other therapies failed. In his honor, we established the John Cleland Testis Cancer Fellowship Fund to promote ongoing training in testis cancer research among our fellow trainees. Since its creation in February, the fund has received 137 gifts and raised more than $355,000.
A New Endowed Chair Honors Chalasani
For more than 25 years, Naga P. Chalasani, MD, has had a distinguished and influential career as a physician, scientist, mentor and leader. He served as chief of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology from 2007 to 2020. And he served as interim chair of the Department of Medicine from 2020 to 2021. To honor that legacy, an endowed chair—the Naga P. Chalasani Chair in Gastroenterology and Hepatology—was established this year thanks to a $2.3 million fundraising campaign.
A Cardiovascular Fellowship to Support Innovation
In March 2022, we welcomed the creation of the Gary and Kathy Anderson Cardiovascular Innovation Fellowship. Gary and Kathy are two stalwart IU supporters. Their generous gift will be used to support a fellowship in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, continuing to help IU attract talented fellows. The inaugural Anderson Innovation Fellow is Chirag Dipak Shah, MD, MPH, who will use machine learning and artificial intelligence to equip physicians with tools to better predict long-term morbidity and mortality.
A Fellowship Focused on Compassionate Care
For those who have been around IU cardiology for any length of time, the name Eric S. Williams, MD, MACC, is synonymous with outstanding care and teaching at the highest level. A professor of medicine at IU since 1985, he also served his profession through his leadership at the American College of Cardiology as chairman of the ACC’s Competency Management Committee and a senior member of the Life-long Learning and Oversight Committee. So it is f itting that this year we created the Eric S. Williams, MD Cardiovascular Fellowship through a fundraising campaign with a goal of $1 million. This endowed cardiovascular fellowship will focus on compassionate, hands-on cardiovascular care as we train the physician-educators of the future.
Support for Liver and Kidney Disease Research and Training
Terence P. Kahn, a long-time administrator with the Department of Veterans Affairs, a Vietnam veteran and an Indianapolis resident, made sure to remember the IU School of Medicine in his estate plans, leaving a combined $3.5 million to programs in the Department of Medicine. Mr. Kahn, who died in 2021, left $1.5 million to establish the Terence P. Kahn Professorship in Nephrology. This gift will accelerate research and education benefitting patients with kidney disease. Mr. Kahn also left $2 million to establish the Terence P. Kahn Liver Disease Program of Excellence, supporting liver disease research and education. We are grateful for Mr. Kahn’s generous legacy.