A Gift to the University

Dear Members of the University and UChicago Medicine Community,

I write to share that a generous $75 million donation from the AbbVie Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing health equity, has been granted to the University to help fund the construction of the new cancer care and research pavilion at UChicago Medicine. This marks an important milestone as we deepen our efforts in the field of cancer and our commitment to the community. When it opens in 2027, the AbbVie Foundation Cancer Pavilion will be the state’s first and only freestanding facility dedicated to cancer care and research, representing a testament to our mission to advance health equity and increase access to high-quality, culturally competent care.

This pivotal moment also brings additional momentum to our commitment to investing in the South Side of Chicago, where we seek to close the gap in health disparities, particularly in cancer. The support for the construction of the cancer pavilion will allow the University and UChicago Medicine to further strengthen our commitment to the highest priorities in cancer prevention, patient care, and research.

At the University of Chicago, we are guided by a calling to use knowledge and discovery for the benefit of society. Cancer is one of the great formidable challenges that society faces—a disease that not only affects individual health but also has deep impacts on families and communities. Addressing it is not solely a medical pursuit; it is also a profound social endeavor.

It is our hope that this pavilion will serve as a beacon, lighting the way from groundbreaking discovery to patient-centered care. Within this new space, over 200 leading cancer experts, who are currently spread across campus, will collaborate and innovate together, bringing UChicago Medicine’s distinctive commitment to personalized care and high-impact research to new heights. Our campus’s unique interconnectedness provides an ideal foundation for the innovations we aim to achieve in cancer research and treatment. Few other academic medical centers and hospitals globally have access to the breadth of resources we have here.

I am deeply grateful to the AbbVie Foundation for their confidence in our institution and their support of our shared mission to bring health equity and life-saving care to bear in our local community and beyond. With this pledge of support, we will continue to pursue solutions to some of the world’s most pressing medical challenges, helping to improve the lives of countless individuals and families.

Sincerely,
Paul

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Paul Alivisatos
President