2019 Annual Report
Note: The 2020 Annual Report is now available.
A Letter from the Director
As I reflect on my five years as president and director of this remarkable institution, I feel both humbled and gratified to have been in this place at this time. I know it is a rare thing to lead an enterprise where everybody comes to work, every day, trying to do the best they can to help people who have terrible diseases.
That is the soul of Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, and I am so pleased to complete my final year at the helm knowing we are in terrific shape.
From the beginning, I’ve tried to convey the sense of urgency I feel about our mission. I believe the most important actions Fred Hutch can take to speed scientific discovery is to foster our culture of team science and to bring together the smartest people to work in collaboration across specialties. This has been a hallmark of our prior success, and we have vigorously expanded upon that. Your support has been instrumental in pursuing this strategy.
Our 2019 fiscal year brought important, measurable progress. We added 12 exceptional faculty members to our team and established eight new endowed chairs to support and attract more world-renowned faculty. We also launched our Translational Data Science Integrated Research Center to facilitate out-of-the box thinking and creative collaborations across the data and technology landscapes, work that is only possible here. Bringing in the best and breaking down walls to collaboration is also our goal with the expansion into the Lake Union Steam Plant. I believe the investment we’re making to transform the iconic building into a nexus of immunotherapy and data science research will dramatically speed the development of personalized therapies.
The Hutch is in an excellent position, and I am delighted to report that it will continue to prosper under the leadership of Dr. Thomas J. Lynch, Jr., who will become the sixth president in our 45-year history starting in February 2020. A highly-respected oncologist, world-renowned scientist and successful cancer-center leader, Dr. Lynch is the ideal leader to advance Fred Hutch’s mission.
Thank you again for your deep investment in us. Because of you, we’re much closer to a world where every cancer, and every patient, has a cure.
Cures start here,
Dr. Gary Gilliland
President and Director
Research Highlights 2019
Fred Hutch researchers continue to explore the edge of human knowledge as they seek cures for cancer, HIV and other diseases. We have highlighted a sampling of the most interesting and important research from the past year.
Engaging Our Community
From presenting our research at premiere scientific conferences to cycling across the Seattle area with a record number of participants in Obliteride to throwing out the first pitch at a Mariners game for the 100th birthday of our namesake, 2019 was packed with opportunities for us to engage with our community. We enjoy increasingly strong philanthropic support from our donors, drawing 63,000 donations from more than 39,000 donors in FY19, both new records.
Thousands of people participated in our events — scaling mountains, climbing stairs, pedaling across the Puget Sound, shredding the slopes and hitting the dance floor. And thousands more donated to our pioneering efforts though our campaigns, giving clubs and legacy programs to honor loved ones affected by cancer and other diseases. We also traveled the world to share our science with our peers and collaborate with others working on cancer, HIV and related diseases.
We participated in hundreds of events and conferences, and met with partners to build connections that can help bring cures to patients as quickly as possible. View all of our upcoming events.
Science on the Horizon: Looking Ahead to 2020
From cancer therapies to fundamental science to public health, Fred Hutch scientists share a few predictions about the scientific trends, discoveries and breakthroughs they envision for next year.
Dr. Robert Bradley
Computational biologist and biophysicist
“We'll see an increased focus on using cancer genomics to inform precision medicine in real time, so that patient-care decisions can be made using the latest tools and analysis strategies."
Dr. Aude Chapuis
Blood stem cell transplantation and immunotherapy expert
“Genetic engineering technologies will continue to advance and become more cost-effective and accessible to mainstream science, so that immune T cells can be efficiently engineered to target a wide variety of cancers at less cost."
South Lake Union Steam Plant
On campus: as many as 275 scientists and staff from research labs in the Translational Data Science and Immunotherapy integrated research centers are scheduled to move in to the historic Steam Plant.
2019 Major Awards and Endowed Chairs
Scientific Awards
- Evolutionary biologist Dr. Harmit Malik was elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a member of the National Academy of Sciences.
- Statistician Dr. M. Elizabeth "Betz" Halloran was elected to the National Academy of Medicine.
- Dr. Fred Appelbaum, executive vice president and deputy director of the Hutch, and Dr. Phil Greenberg, head of the Program in Immunology, were elected fellows of the American Association for Cancer Research Academy.
Endowed Chair Recipients
- Dr. Fred Appelbaum received the Metcalfe Family/Frederick Appelbaum Endowed Chair in Cancer Research.
- Breast cancer oncologist Dr. Nancy E. Davidson, senior vice president and director of the Clinical Research Division, received the Raisbeck Endowed Chair for Collaborative Research.
- Leukemia researcher Dr. Jerry Radich received the Kurt Enslein Endowed Chair.
- Hematology oncologist Dr. Cameron Turtle received the Anderson Family Endowed Chair for Immunotherapy.
New Endowed Chairs
- The Helen G. Edson Endowed Chair for Breast Cancer Research was established in August 2019.
- The John C. and Karyl K. Hughes Endowed Chair was established in November 2019.
2019 Financials
From our president and division leaders to our Board of Trustees and Board of Ambassadors, meet the leaders who are guiding us to bigger, bolder breakthroughs.
Our Leadership
We believe that nonprofit organizations like Fred Hutch should be both transparent and accountable by providing key financial information to the public.
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