Regenstrief Foundation, Walther Gifts Create IU Cancer Informatics Chair

Gifts totaling $3 million from the Regenstrief Foundation Inc. and the Walther Cancer Foundation Inc. will create an endowed chair in cancer informatics at the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center.

The jointly recruited chairholder will be a faculty member at Indiana University and a research scientist at the Regenstrief Institute and cancer center.

Cancer informatics helps researchers analyze big data to identify those at risk of developing cancer, optimize prevention and detection, and improve outcomes. Researchers can also use big data to identify health disparities in cancer care and find ways to address social determinants of health (SDOH).

“This chair is a wonderful example of how big things can come about through identification of mutual interests among several parties,” D. Craig Brater, MD, president and CEO of the Regenstrief Foundation and vice president of programs at the Walther Cancer Foundation, said in a public statement.

“This chair will enable researchers to better understand the biology of cancer and also to address issues of equity in cancer care,” Brater added.

The incoming chair will lead the effort to collect data accurately, effectively, and ethically while joining a group of researchers at IU and Regenstrief in bioinformatics, data science, and statistics.

“I am grateful for the extraordinary partnership with the Regenstrief Foundation and the Walther Cancer Foundation that led to the creation of this chair,” said Kelvin Lee, MD, director of the IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center.  

“We routinely generate enormous data sets, but the information needs to be effectively organized and analyzed to make a real difference,” Lee added. “With these gifts, we’ll be able to recruit an expert who can lead us through the complexities of informatics and position IU as a leader in the developing field of cancer informatics.”