Newswise — LOS ANGELES — USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck Medicine of USC and the Keck School of Medicine of USC today announced a $5 million gift from the Rosalie and Harold Rae Brown Charitable Foundation. The gift was received from Harold R. Brown, trustee of the foundation, to create and support the Rosalie and Harold Rae Brown Center for Cancer Drug Discovery within the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center.
The new center, named in honor of Brown’s parents, will focus on accelerating the development of groundbreaking cancer treatments.
“The importance of conducting research to develop more effective and less toxic cancer therapies cannot be overestimated,” says Caryn Lerman, PhD, director of the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and associate dean for cancer programs at the Keck School. “This gift will enable us to leverage the talent of USC Norris scientists and dedicated clinicians and ensure that our groundbreaking discoveries move not from bench to bookshelf, but from bench to bedside, transforming cancer care and survivorship for all people.”
Brown, who will celebrate his 90th birthday in August, is a previous donor to USC Norris and graduated from USC with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1959.
“I have been fortunate to do well in business, and now through my efforts as trustee of the Rosalie and Harold Rae Brown Charitable Foundation, want to give back to a cause that is not only personally important to me, but addresses a great need in society, finding a cure for cancer,” says Brown. “Honoring my parents and creating the Rosalie and Harold Rae Brown Center for Cancer Drug Discovery at USC Norris is a rewarding and fitting legacy.”
This gift will have an immediate impact by supporting the development of new clinical trials that build on USC Norris discoveries of the underlying causes of cancer and disease progression. Initial projects will be sharply focused on cancers that disproportionately affect members of the community for whom there are dramatic ethnic and racial disparities, such as breast cancer, prostate cancer and colorectal cancer.
“This generous gift will help position USC Norris and the Keck School at the forefront of innovative cancer research and treatment,” says Laura Mosqueda, MD, dean of the Keck School. “It will significantly enhance our mission of finding cures and offering renewed hope for all who are impacted by cancer.”
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About USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center
At USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, more than 250 dedicated scientists and clinicians are leading the fight to make cancer a disease of the past. As one of the eight original National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the United States, USC Norris has revolutionized cancer research, treatment and prevention for nearly 50 years. Multidisciplinary teams provide the latest research-based cancer care at USC Norris Cancer Hospital and Keck Medical Center, as well as outpatient clinics throughout Los Angeles and Orange counties.
In 2019-20, U.S. News & World Report ranked USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center among the country’s top 25 cancer centers.
For more information, visit cancer.KeckMedicine.org.
About Keck Medicine of USC
Keck Medicine of USC is one of only two university-based medical systems in the Los Angeles area. Its internationally renowned physicians and scientists provide world-class patient care at Keck Hospital of USC, USC Norris Cancer Hospital, USC Verdugo Hills Hospital and more than 80 outpatient clinics in Los Angeles, Orange, Kern, Tulare and Ventura counties.
Keck Medical Center was ranked No. 16 on U.S. News & World Report’s 2019-20 Best Hospitals Honor Roll and among the top 3 hospitals in Los Angeles and top 5 in California. The hospital also ranked in the top 4 in urology (tie); top 10 in geriatrics; top 15 in ophthalmology, cardiology & heart surgery, gastroenterology & GI surgery and nephrology; top 20 in neurology & neurosurgery; top 25 in cancer; and top 35 in pulmonology & lung surgery.
For more information, visit KeckMedicine.org.
About the Keck School of Medicine of USC
Founded in 1885, the Keck School of Medicine of USC is among the nation’s leaders in innovative patient care, scientific discovery, education and community service. The school has more than 1,850 full-time faculty members and voluntary faculty numbering more than 2,400 physicians. These faculty direct the education of approximately 800 medical students and 1,000 students pursuing graduate and postgraduate degrees. The school trains more than 900 resident physicians in more than 50 specialty or subspecialty programs and is the largest educator of physicians practicing in Southern California. Keck School faculty also lead research and education within 24 research-oriented basic science and clinical departments, and seven research institutes across the Health Sciences Campus.
The Keck School was ranked No. 31 in research in the 2020 U.S. News & World Report “Best Graduate Schools” rankings.
For more information, visit keck.usc.edu.
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