The donation is dedicated to translational cancer research, meaning applied cancer research in antibody and cell therapies with the aim of improving prognosis and quality of life for today’s cancer patients, reports Lund University.

Erik Renström. Photo: Charlotte Carlberg Bärg

“This is a gratifying announcement for many cancer researchers at Lund University and a confirmation that they are attracting great interest outside the country’s borders,” says Erik Renström, Vice-Chancellor of Lund University.

“International collaborations are necessary to remain at the forefront and attract large grants,” he adds.

CREATE Health Translational Cancer Centre

The administrative recipient is CREATE Health Translational Cancer Centre, with Carl Borrebaeck, Professor of Immunotechnology, and Kristian Pietras, Professor of Molecular Medicine, as principal investigators. The funding will be allocated over a five-year period and will go to both existing senior researchers and new recruitment.

The research will be carried out in collaboration with the Swiss Cancer Center and EPFL in Lausanne.

Carl Borrebaeck. Photo: Apelöga

“Our collaboration within the L2CancerBridge programme will now further deepen with the research group led by Douglas Hanahan who has been a leader in translational cancer research for many years,” says Carl Borrebaeck, Professor of Immunotechnology, Lund University.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to pursue immuno-oncology cancer research,” he adds.

Boost cancer research in the entire Medicon Valley region

“Medicon Valley Alliance would like to congratulate our founding father, Lunds University, with the historically large donation, which will help boost cancer research in the entire Medicon Valley region. Oncology is one of the regional strongholds in our Swedish-Danish life science cluster and the Medicon Valley Alliance Oncology Network was actually co-established by the very same Prof. Carl Borrebaeck, who will one of the administrative recipients of the donation on behalf of CREATE Health Translational Cancer Centre,” says Director Member Engagement and Communication, Medicon Valley Alliance, David Munis Zepernick.

Oncology is one of the regional strongholds in our Swedish-Danish life science cluster and the Medicon Valley Alliance Oncology Network was actually co-established by the very same Prof. Carl Borrebaeck, who will one of the administrative recipients of the donation on behalf of CREATE Health Translational Cancer Centre.

“The donation furthermore illustrates the importance of the foundations for life science R&D in both Swedish and Danish life science. Foundations such as Mrs. Berta Kamprad’s Cancer Foundation, The Novo Nordisk Foundation, Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation and The Mats Paulsson Foundation for Research, Innovation and Societal Development are crucial and constituent parts of the life science ecosystem and probably a precondition for the successful implementation of both the Swedish and Danish national life science strategies,” adds Zepernick.