City of Hope Receives $11 Million Gift from the Simms/Mann Family Foundation to Help Shape the Future of Personalized Cancer Care

Transformational gift builds on a shared commitment to scientific innovation and City of Hope’s leadership in precision oncology across genomics, artificial intelligence and microbiome science.

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--City of Hope®, one of the largest and most advanced cancer research and treatment organizations in the country, today announced a transformational $11 million gift from the Simms/Mann Family Foundation to advance personalized cancer care, supporting groundbreaking scientific advances that seek to understand each person's disease and the unique biology behind it.

City of Hope’s national scale, unique model combining translational research with a national network of cancer centers and clinical trials, and commitment to exceptional care makes it uniquely positioned to drive change in the fight against cancer. A key area of focus for the organization moving forward is developing more personalized treatments for patients’ specific cancer subtype. By pairing the Simms/Mann Family Foundation’s dedication to advancing transformative ideas with City of Hope’s scientific expertise, the partnership will help accelerate progress in genomics, microbiome science and artificial intelligence. It will create new opportunities to personalize cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment, with the potential to improve outcomes, quality of life and overall patient experience.

"The Simms/Mann Family Foundation has a remarkable history of recognizing important opportunities early and responding with vision and conviction," said Robert Stone, chief executive officer of City of Hope and Helen and Morgan Chu Chief Executive Officer Distinguished Chair. "Some of the most promising breakthroughs in cancer care are emerging at the intersection of genomics, data science, artificial intelligence and other rapidly evolving fields. The microbiome in particular has emerged as an area with enormous potential. The Foundation’s investment recognizes both the promise of this moment in science and City of Hope’s unique ability to bring these emerging fields together in ways that can benefit patients."

Rather than supporting a single disease, laboratory or technology, the Simms/Mann Family Foundation chose to invest in the broader scientific movement toward precision oncology, helping accelerate research and innovation that could benefit patients for generations to come.

The Foundation’s gift will endow the Simms/Mann Family Foundation Precision Oncology Program in Southern California, providing enduring resources to fund high-priority projects and emerging research opportunities. It will also establish two endowed chairs: the Simms/Mann Family Foundation Chair in Cancer Microbiome Research to be held by Robert R. Jenq, M.D., director of the City of Hope Microbiome Program, and the Simms/Mann Family Foundation Chair in Clinical Cancer Genomics, a position that will be recruited. Together, these investments will strengthen City of Hope’s nationally recognized microbiome research and create a unique opportunity to recruit a leader who can unite artificial intelligence, clinical genomics and patient care within a single program.

"The possibility of understanding each person's cancer more fully and using that knowledge to shape individualized care is deeply meaningful to us," said Victoria Mann Simms, Ph.D., co-founder and president of the Simms/Mann Family Foundation. "We hope this investment helps unlock the tremendous potential of genomics, artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies to improve outcomes and quality of life for people facing cancer."

The gift comes at a pivotal moment in cancer research. Scientists now have powerful new tools to decode the genetic drivers of disease, predict how patients may respond to treatment and uncover biological factors that influence recovery and long-term health. Artificial intelligence is accelerating that work, helping researchers analyze enormous amounts of data and identify insights that would have been impossible to find just a decade ago.

At City of Hope, these advances are converging to create new opportunities for more precise, individualized care.

"No two people and no two cancers are exactly alike," said John D. Carpten, Ph.D., chief scientific officer at City of Hope. "The more we understand an individual's disease and biology, the more precisely we can tailor treatment and care. Support like this helps accelerate the research that will define the next generation of cancer medicine and expand access to these approaches for patients everywhere."

For the foundation, the gift is ultimately about helping create a future in which every cancer patient can benefit from individualized care that is as unique as they are.

"True progress happens when science and compassion move forward together," said Ronald A. Simms, co-founder of the Simms/Mann Family Foundation. "City of Hope’s work to develop a blood test for detecting pancreatic cancer at its earliest stages is a powerful example — research that could give patients answers sooner, when more options may still be available and their lives may be saved or prolonged. We are proud to partner with City of Hope in its pursuit of discoveries that can bring more options, more answers and more hope to families facing cancer."

About The Simms/Mann Family Foundation

For more than 30 years, The Simms/Mann Family Foundation and Simms/Mann Institute have advanced holistic, transdisciplinary initiatives that support mind, body, spirit and community. Founded by longtime Los Angeles residents and philanthropists Victoria Mann Simms and Ronald A. Simms, their work spans health and wellness, education, and arts and culture, with a focus on the Greater Los Angeles area. Learn more at simmsmanninstitute.org.

About City of Hope

City of Hope's mission is to make hope a reality for all touched by cancer and diabetes. Founded in 1913, City of Hope has grown into one of the largest and most advanced cancer research and treatment organizations in the United States, and one of the leading research centers for diabetes and other life-threatening illnesses. City of Hope research has been the basis for numerous breakthrough cancer medicines, as well as human synthetic insulin and monoclonal antibodies. With an independent, National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center that is ranked among the nation’s top cancer centers by U.S. News & World Report at its core, City of Hope’s uniquely integrated model spans cancer care, research and development, academics and training, and a broad philanthropy program that powers its work. City of Hope’s growing national system includes its Los Angeles campus, Orange County, California campus, a network of clinical care locations across Southern California and cancer treatment centers and outpatient facilities in the Atlanta, Chicago and Phoenix areas. City of Hope’s affiliated group of organizations includes Translational Genomics Research Institute and AccessHope^TM. For more information about City of Hope, follow us on Facebook, X, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn.