Hope Funds

01/16/2026

In Memoriam: Richard O. Hynes (1944-2026)

Hope Funds for Cancer Research notes with sadness the passing of Richard O. Hynes Ph.D., distinguished molecular biologist and recipient of our Award of Excellence for Basic Science in 2025. Dr. Hynes passed away at home with his family by his side on January 6 from complications of cancer. He was 81.

A British biologist, until his recent retirement, Dr. Hynes was a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, and the Daniel K. Ludwig Professor for Cancer Research at the MIT Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). Well known as a co-discoverer of both the ECM proteins, fibronectins and integrin receptors, his research focused on cell adhesion and the interactions between cells and the extracellular matrix in order to understand molecular mechanisms of cancer metastasis.

Dr. Hynes studied the mechanisms underlying the spread of tumor cells throughout the body, known as metastasis. He was particularly interested in the role of the extracellular matrix (ECM) — a fibrillar meshwork of proteins that surrounds both normal and tumor cells, which plays many important roles in tumor progression. He also investigated changes in the metastatic cells themselves and in the contributions of normal cells, both in terms of metastasis and other bodily functions such as embryonic development and vascular biology.

Dr. Hynes grew up in Liverpool, UK and earned his B.A. in biochemistry in 1966 from the University of Cambridge. He received his Ph.D. in biology from the MIT in 1971 and worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the Imperial Cancer Research Fund from 1971 to 1974. Dr. Hynes became a faculty member in the biology department at MIT in 1975, was promoted to full professor in 1983 and became the Daniel K. Ludwig Professor for Cancer Research and affiliated with the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research in 1999. He was affiliated with the Koch Institute for Integrative Research at MIT and Associate Member of the Broad Institute.

A beloved mentor to a vast network of mentees, in his later career Dr. Hynes devoted himself to advocacy and public policy, including co-authoring the National Academy’s Guidelines for Stem Cell Research and Human Genome Editing and service on the Board of Governors of the Wellcome Trust.

Dr. Hynes is survived by his wife Fleur, sons Hugh and Colin, daughters-in-law Rachel and Amy, grandchildren Polly, Owen, Maeve, and Roxanne, and siblings Elisabeth, Andrew and Julian.

A celebration of his life is being planned for the spring. Our deepest sympathy is extended to his family, friends and colleagues.

(The photo of Dr. Hynes at Hope Funds Gala Awards Dinner on April 7, 2025, was provided by Julie Skarratt Photography)

01/01/2026

The Hope Funds for Cancer Research wishes you

a Celebratory New Years Eve and a Happy and Healthy 2026!

(Please visit us at www.Hope-Fund.org to learn more.)

11/08/2025

In Memoriam: James D. Watson (1928-2025)

Hope Funds for Cancer Research notes with great sorrow the passing of the distinguished biologist and researcher James D. Watson, Ph.D, our past Award Recipient and Scientific Advisory Council member, on November 7 on Long Island New York.

James Dewey Watson is best known as a co-discoverer of the structure of DNA in 1953 with Francis Crick. He was awarded the 1962 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine along with Crick and Maurice Wilkins, University College London. The publication of the double helix structure of DNA can be regarded as a turning point in science: human understanding of life was fundamentally changed, and the modern era of biology began.

Dr. Watson received his B.S. from the University of Chicago and his Ph.D. from Indiana University with Dr. Salvador Luria as his advisor. He did postdoctoral research with the biochemist Dr. Herman Kalckar in Copenhagen. From 1952 to 1956, Dr. Watson worked at the University of Cambridge’s Cavendish Laboratory in England, where he first met his future collaborator and friend Francis Crick. In late February 1953, Watson and Crick deduced the double helix structure of DNA and its alphabet of bases represented by the letters ATGC which spell out the code of life and is always paired in a way to pass on genetic information faithfully with every cell division. Near the end of their paper Watson and Crick concluded, with what is regarded as the most famous understatement in science, “It has not escaped our attention that the specific pairing we have postulated immediately suggests a possible copying mechanism for the genetic material.” In fact, most scientists regard the elucidation of the double helix as one of the most important research achievements ever, a discovery that will be remembered along with the work of Newton, Darwin and Einstein.

Dr. Watson’s illustrious career only began with the double helix. From 1956 to 1976, he was on the faculty of the Harvard University Biology Department, promoting research in molecular biology. From 1968 Dr. Watson served as director of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. At CSHL, he shifted his research emphasis to the study of cancer, along with making CSHL a world leading research center in molecular biology. In 1994, he started as president and served for 10 years. He was then appointed chancellor, serving until 2007, and is currently chancellor emeritus. Between 1988 and 1992, Dr. Watson played a leading roll in obtaining public support for the National Institutes of Health, helping to establish the Human Genome Project and he served as the project’s first director.

In 2013 the Hope Funds for Cancer Research Board of Trustees established the James D. Watson Award to recognize discoveries that fundamentally change science and our understanding of life; the types of discoveries made by Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, and James Watson, Dr. Watson was the first recipient of this award, presented to him in 2014 in New York City at the Metropolitan Museum of Art at the Hope Funds Awards Gala. The second, and only other recipient of the James D. Watson award is Joan A. Steitz, Ph.D., Sterling Professor of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry at Yale University and Investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Dr. Steitz received the award for her discoveries involving RNA. Dr. Steitz was the first female graduate student to join James Watson's laboratory, while she was a graduate student at Harvard University, and she often credits him with contributing to career.

Our deepest sympathy is extended to Dr. Watson's wife Elizabeth, family, friends and colleagues.

09/28/2025

Here is an interview by Andrew Robertson, BBDO Chairman and Hope Funds for Cancer Research board member, about his new book on the importance of creativity for success in business: https://cnb.cx/4pP4R7t.

09/16/2025

In Memoriam: David Baltimore (1938-2025)

Hope Funds for Cancer Research notes with sorrow the passing of Dr. David Baltimore, Nobel Prize-winning molecular biologist and recipient of our Award of Excellence in 2017.

Dr. Baltimore was a Professor of Biology at the California Institute of Technology, where he served as president from 1997 to 2006. He also served as the director of the Joint Center for Translational Medicine, which joins Caltech and UCLA in a program to translate basic science discoveries into clinical realities.

He served as president of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) from 1997 to 2006, and was President Emeritus and Robert Andrews Millikan Professor of Biology at Caltech. Before moving to Caltech, he served as president of Rockefeller University from 1990 to 1991, and prior to being at Rockefeller, he was the American Cancer Society Professor of Microbiology and a Professor of Biology at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, MA.

In 1975, Dr. Baltimore was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine along with Renato Dulbecco and Howard Martin Temin “for their discoveries concerning the interaction between tumor viruses and the genetic material of the cell.” He was well known for his work in discovering that viruses with genomes consisting of RNA can also be inserted into the DNA of a host cell through an enzyme called reverse transcriptase. This discovery led to the modification of the rule that genetic information could only be transferred in one direction. He was the recipient of numerous awards, including the U.S. National Medal of Science in 1999.

David Baltimore was featured in the Hope Funds documentary short film, "How to Win a Nobel Prize," Click Here to view: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8GdIatDZ58

Our deepest sympathy is extended to his family, friends and colleagues.

07/02/2025

Hope Funds for Cancer Research Launches Partnership with The Jane Coffin Childs Fund for Medical Research

For Immediate Release

NEWPORT, RI -- July 2, 2025 -- Hope Funds for Cancer Research announces the launch of a collaboration with The Jane Coffin Childs Fund for Medical Research (Jane Coffin Childs Fund) to provide funding support for outstanding postdoctoral Fellows in biomedical research. This unique initiative will expand the number of Fellows awarded by each organization, at a time when federal funding cuts are diminishing resources for the scientific workforce.

After a rigorous joint review process, Dr. David Klawon, in the Laboratory of Tyler Jacks, Ph.D. at the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was selected as the inaugural recipient of the Hope Funds for Cancer Research-Jane Coffin Childs Fund Fellowship. This three-year investment will serve to advance cancer research while further supporting the workforce pipeline. Dr. Klawon is fascinated with the role that our immune system plays in resolving or mediating different diseases. His current research focuses on immune responses in lung cancer and seeks to understand the mechanisms used to furnish tumors with cancer-fighting or tumor-promoting immune cells.

“When visionary organizations come together, the impact is exponential,” said Dr. Anita Pepper, Executive Director of the Jane Coffin Childs Fund. “This partnership exemplifies the power of collaborative philanthropy—amplifying bold ideas, accelerating scientific discovery, and empowering the next generation of leaders to transform cancer research.”

Hope Funds for Cancer Research was established in 2006 to encourage investigation of innovative treatment and detection for the most difficult-to-treat cancers. The organization supports research for highly innovative projects that challenge traditional paradigms associated with understanding the causes, mechanisms, progression, disease markers, or risk factors of the most understudied and difficult-to-treat cancers. Hope Funds emphasizes a creative approach to research and awards grants to young scientists based on the following criteria: project innovation and originality; the significance and direct relevance of the research proposal; the project's approach and conceptual framework; the researcher's qualifications and those of his or her mentors; and the quality of the researcher's overall working environment.

Since 2008, Hope Funds has funded research projects by 61 fellows deemed to have the highest probability of success, as determined by rigorous scientific and economic analysis.

“Hope Funds is enthusiastic to partner with an organization of the Jane Coffin Childs Fund’s stature and to support the work of Dr. David Klawon, an exceptional candidate whose work reflects our commitment to promoting scientific innovation,” said Professor Bryan R.G. Williams, Chair, Hope Funds Board of Trustees.

The Jane Coffin Childs Memorial Fund for Medical Research was established by the Childs Family in 1937 to honor the memory of Jane Coffin Childs. Inspired by the founding purpose to support research into the causes and treatment of cancer, the Fund’s mission has broadened to support fundamental scientific research that advances our understanding of the causes, treatments, and cures for human disease. This year, the Board of Scientific Advisors selected twenty-nine new fellows from the largest applicant pool in the fund’s history based on their doctoral research accomplishments, innovative research plans, and their chosen scientific mentors.

More information about the funds and the fellows they support can be found on their websites: https://www.hope-funds.org/ and https://www.jccfund.org/.

Contact Information: John A. Wells, Trustee, info@hope-funds.org, or Anita Pepper, Ph.D., Executive Director, jccfund@yale.edu.

Hope Funds for Cancer Research is an independent and unaffiliated non-profit organization

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7/2/25 - 9

04/12/2025

April 7, 2025: Hope Funds for Cancer Research honored Richard O. Hynes, Ph.D.; Elaine Fuchs, Ph.D.; Don W. Cleveland, Ph.D.; and Leah Rush Cann at a Gala Awards Dinner at a private club in New York City. The Gala was attended by 100 guests and raised more than $500,000 for postdoctoral fellowships. (Please follow this link to the Hope Funds event page: https://www.hope-funds.org/events/recent-events/ if you wish to see more pictures and event details.)

12/03/2024

A day devoted to giving back: , Dec. 3, 2024 - when people around the world celebrate with their consciences and make contributions to their favorite organizations and to the people who are creating positive change in the world. Please consider a gift to Hope Funds for Cancer Research. On-line at www.hope-funds.org/giving or by mail to: Hope Funds, 174 Bellevue Avenue, Suite 208, Newport, RI 02840.

Giving Opportunities   Using Network for Good you can make a secure donation with your credit card by clicking on Donate Now!. Make a Gift by Mail: Hope Funds for Cancer Research 174 Bellevue …

11/29/2024

Thank You for Your Support!
from the 2024
Hope Funds for Cancer Research Fellows

11/19/2024

Thank you Dylan!

Hope Funds for Cancer Research received an extraordinary gift today from Dylan Rozansky, an eighth-grade student at Pennfield School.

10/09/2024

To celebrate the Nobel Laureates announced this week, we are proud to release our film "How to Win a Nobel Prize," directed by Gary Jobson and Produced by Andrew Robertson, which premiered this year in the Annapolis and LA Liftoff film festivals. We hope you enjoy it and share it with others. Hope Funds Award of Excellence winners include 9 who also received the Nobel Prize, with 3 selected immediately following their receiving the Hope Funds Award. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8GdIatDZ58
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02/03/2024

Hope Funds is privileged to host its annual Awards of Excellence Dinner in the Elms on June 8, 2024.

The Elms appreciation post! This beautiful mansion will reopen to the public April 1st.

(Thanks to George Gray Photography for the stunning photo)