Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre unveils new $40m cancer immunobiology hub

Made possible by a $40 million gift from Henry Kravis, the new center will act as a hub for immunotherapy research that will "elevate, centralize and prioritize" the full spectrum of immune-oncology research across the institution.

The CCI will also establish a strategic research infrastructure that will “seamlessly unite” MSK scientists and physicians to further accelerate immunotherapy treatments for people with cancer.

Kravis made the gift to honor the “visionary leadership” of his wife Marie-Josée Kravis, vice chair of the MSK board of trustees and a renowned champion of science,

To lead the CCI, MSK will appoint a prominent expert who bridges the worlds of immuno-oncology clinical trials and laboratory science as the inaugural Marie-Josée Kravis chair in immuno-oncology.

The center will encompass basic research, translational research, and the creation of novel immunodiagnostic assays at MSK with a focus on immuno-oncology discovery, cell engineering and cancer vaccines.

By uniting MSK’s preclinical and translational investigators across the immunology research community, the CCI will establish a new model for research initiatives that span discovery research and patient care.

“We are deeply grateful to Henry and Marie-Josée Kravis for their generosity. Immunotherapy was born at MSK more than a century ago, and since then our researchers have been at the epicenter of new discoveries in the field that have paved the way for ground-breaking treatment options for people with cancer,” said Selwyn Vickers, president and CEO of MSK.

“The Marie-Josée Kravis Center for Cancer Immunobiology will provide our physicians and scientists with the community, support, and resources they need for productive multidisciplinary collaboration to continue their important work as we advance our mission of ending cancer for life.”

In addition, the new center builds on the Kravis family’s legacy of “generosity and extensive vision” for research.

This gift also establishes the Kravises as the most generous donors in the history of MSK. Throughout the past two decades, their support has allowed the institution to achieve the most significant advances in cancer research, as well as establishing previous initiatives - The Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis Center for Molecular Oncology and The Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis Cancer Ecosystems Project.  

“We are delighted to continue our support of science and research at MSK through The Marie-Josée Kravis Center for Cancer Immunobiology,” said Marie-Josée Kravis.

“Immunotherapy is one of the most promising treatment options for cancer, and MSK researchers have unparalleled expertise in the field. Our hope is to build on their extraordinary work to create greater understanding of cancer’s relationship to the body and yield transformative treatments for people around the world.”