The Stony Brook Cancer Center has received a $335,000 endowment pledge from the Strohm Foundation to support cancer research and long-term scientific advancement. The donation will be matched through the New York State endowment match program and the Simons Infinity Investment, increasing the total impact to $1,005,000 for cancer research and the university’s unrestricted endowment.
Raymond Bergan, MD, director of the Stony Brook Cancer Center, commented on the gift: “The Strohm Foundation’s generosity is accelerating discoveries that will change lives. Their investment strengthens our ability to pursue bold, high‑impact research and expand the resources available to the patients and communities who need them most. We are profoundly grateful for their partnership and their unwavering commitment to advancing cancer science.”
Edward Strohm, executive director of The Strohm Foundation, has advocated for research into cancers affecting 9/11 first responders due to his own experience with a 9/11-related cancer. He stated: “Our foundation’s mission is deeply personal. I know firsthand what a 9/11‑related cancer diagnosis means, and I’ve seen the toll it continues to take on so many first responders. Supporting Stony Brook’s research is our way of honoring their sacrifice and helping ensure that the science keeps moving forward. We believe that investing in innovative research today will lead to better answers, and better outcomes, for the people who have given so much.”
The Strohm Foundation previously fulfilled a $100,000 commitment to Stony Brook Cancer Center research and remains engaged in supporting studies focused on cancers disproportionately impacting first responders from September 11, 2001. This new investment aims to drive further research that could improve programs and outcomes for affected communities.
Stony Brook Cancer Center is recognized as Suffolk County’s leader in cancer care as well as education and research. The center manages over 1,500 inpatient discharges and approximately 70,000 outpatient visits each year. It operates with 12 multidisciplinary teams covering various types of cancers including breast, colorectal, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, gynecologic, head and neck (including thyroid), hematologic malignancies with stem cell transplant services, lung cancer, melanoma with soft tissue sarcomas, neurologic oncology, orthopedic oncology as well as pediatric hematology/oncology. The program holds accreditation from the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer.
