Humana Foundation gifts target childhood cancers, McConnell Center

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The University of Louisville has received two gifts from the Humana Foundation totaling $2.5 million. The donations will help fund research on a vaccine for childhood cancers, provide scholarships for outstanding undergraduates interested in health-related fields and enhance health and wellness initiatives at UofL’s McConnell Center.

The Foundation is supporting the Dr. Salvatore and Kathy Bertolone Endowed Chair in Pediatric Cancer Research with a $500,000 gift. Dr. Kenneth Lucas was recently named the first chair of the endowment and he is leading a team engaged in a Phase 1 clinical trial of a vaccine to prevent recurrence of neuroblastoma and sarcoma, among the most common and deadly of all childhood cancers.

“The Humana Foundation believes in the high quality research and academic work taking place at the University of Louisville,” said Mike McCallister, chairman of the Humana Foundation. “We hope our gift will further UofL’s mission and spur others to make similar commitments.”

The Humana Foundation also is donating $2 million for initiatives at the McConnell Center that will: