Businessman and philanthropist John R. Ranelli and his wife, Ashley, have made a gift of $1 million to establish the John and Ashley Ranelli Endowed Scholar in Cancer Innovation at Massachusetts General Hospital. This philanthropic initiative provides Mass General cancer programs important financial support to seed innovative ideas, ensuring that the most talented people stay and thrive at Mass General Cancer Center.
Mr. Ranelli is the former CEO of Central Garden & Pet and Mikasa and chairman and CEO of Woolrich, Inc. and FGX (FosterGrant). He currently serves on the Boards of Central Garden & Pet and Ortholite, Inc. He was inspired by his father Frank’s experience as a patient of Ephraim Hochberg, MD, deputy clinical director of Mass General Cancer Center and the Ian K. and Isabelle P. Loring Endowed Chair in Lymphoma.
“We are incredibly grateful for this important funding from the Ranelli Family. Their crucial support will bolster Mass General’s position as a leader in cancer care innovation and expand opportunities for physician-scientists who will deliver hope and life to the patients of tomorrow.”
“One of the most difficult experiences we ever had was when Dr. Hochberg diagnosed my dad with mantle cell lymphoma, and our family went through the trauma of his illness and passing,” says Mr. Ranelli, who also serves as a member of the Mass General Cancer Center Advisors. “In that period, we learned more about life from Dr. Hochberg than any other experience we ever had.”
To honor his father’s memory, Mr. Ranelli and his family created the John and Ashley Ranelli Endowed Scholar in Cancer Innovation to support visionary physician-scientists in their pursuit of new ideas and fresh perspectives in cancer research.
Mass General is a unique academic medical institution in that more than one-third of its clinicians are also involved in research. Yet seed funding to advance the most innovative ideas can be hard to secure because traditional medical research funding strategies are so conservative. The prestigious Ranelli Endowed Scholar in Cancer Innovation will provide its incumbents with two to three years of funding that can be leveraged for a significant downstream impact.
“We are incredibly grateful for this important funding from the Ranelli Family,” says Dr. Hochberg. “Their crucial support will bolster Mass General’s position as a leader in cancer care innovation and expand opportunities for physician-scientists who will deliver hope and life to the patients of tomorrow.”
The Power and Prestige of Endowed Scholars
An endowed scholar represents one of the most prestigious honors that can be bestowed upon a physician at Mass General and recognizes a demonstrated record of excellence in clinical care, research and hospital-based education. Endowed scholars also support recruitment and retention of the best medical talent, a top priority for cancer programs at Mass General Brigham.
“To provide our patients with the best cancer care in the world, and to advance the treatments and therapies of tomorrow, we need to ensure that we attract and retain the most talented, forward-thinking minds in the field,” says David Ryan, MD, chair of hematology/oncology and physician-in-chief of Mass General Brigham Cancer. “The Ranelli Endowed Scholar will play a vital role in supporting our mission in that regard.”
In the planning of their gift, Mr. and Mrs. Ranelli worked closely with the cancer team to find a way to “eliminate barriers to funding and make a lasting difference in people’s lives, quickly.”
“With Dr. Hochberg’s guidance and Dr. Ryan’s leadership, we identified a path that supported the incredible people charged with advancing cancer,” Mr. Ranelli says.
“Positioned to make a transformative impact”
The inaugural Ranelli Endowed Scholar award will be Matthew Frigault, MD, a cell therapy specialist who has dedicated his career to improving his patients’ lives through leading-edge research. Dr. Frigault’s visionary work with CAR T-cell therapy is already impacting patients with blood cancers, including leukemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma, and has helped position Mass General as a leader in the burgeoning field of cellular immunotherapy. Dr. Frigault and his team are now exploring how CAR T-cell therapy can help people with solid tumors.
“Dr. Frigault is the perfect first recipient of the Ranelli Endowed Scholar,” Mr. Ranelli says. “With such an outstanding track record and innovative ideas, Dr. Frigault is uniquely positioned to make a transformative impact on the field of cellular immunotherapy.
In addition to their support of Dr. Frigault, Mr. and Mrs. Ranelli are eager to connect other talented, clinician-scientists with friends of the hospital. With this goal in mind, the Ranellis aim to create an additional series of current-use awards, and their hope is that others will follow suit. This program will identify innovators in Mass General Cancer Center and select the most promising physicians and ideas. Cancer leadership has identified 28 leaders who need this type of investigator-led seed funding.
“When my father passed, we vowed to join Dr. Hochberg at the tip of the spear to let cancer know that ‘Frank and his family are here,’” Mr. Ranelli says. “And now we want to inspire others to join us.”
To support physician-scientists discovering new treatments for people living with cancer, make a gift to the Ranelli Endowed Scholar fund or contact us.
