The goal of Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation is to prevent and cure all cancers. That’s why we fund leading-edge laboratory research, as well as the translational and clinical research that moves breakthroughs to patients. Because fewer physicians are choosing science careers, we have dedicated programs focused on ensuring that we recruit and retain them in research. Physicians deeply understand cancer in humans and are especially driven to find cures for their patients. They are the bridge between scientific discovery and cures.

Damon Runyon uniquely identifies the most promising scientists early in their careers and provides them with the freedom and resources to pursue the next breakthroughs in cancer research. We foster new generations of elite scientists and fill gaps in traditional research funding that threaten future breakthroughs. Our strategy ensures that the most brilliant, creative and audacious scientific minds are singularly focused on this goal.

Through our six award programs, Damon Runyon scientists will receive guaranteed financial support, allowing them to focus on research, not grant-writing. Just as important, our awards offer them the freedom to follow their own ideas, explore new paths and take risks. Our prestigious endorsement attracts further funding, advances their careers, and accelerates their research.

Success for Damon Runyon is knowing that behind each new cancer treatment or drug, and many fundamental discoveries in cancer biology, are scientists who were supported by us. Success is knowing we helped to launch or catapult the careers of the scientists behind these breakthroughs. We monitor this by tracking our scientists’ work during and after their awards are complete. In the short term, success is meeting the young scientists we fund and hearing directly from them how our funding is making a difference in enabling their work right now, through their discoveries, their career path, their collaborations, and/or the use of our funding to leverage additional funding.

Since our founding in 1946, promising scientists identified and supported by Damon Runyon have gone on to make breakthrough discoveries that have transformed our understanding of cancer and develop new approaches to prevention, diagnosis and treatment of all forms of this disease. Damon Runyon scientists have: • Been front and center in deciphering the genetic drivers of cancer, including identifying the first cancer-causing gene and leadership in the national Human Genome Atlas project to identify the key genetic drivers of a broad range of cancers. • Pioneered the study of the immune system, which has led to the current success of cancer immunotherapies. • Developed many of the technologies used today to study cancer, such as tools to edit the genome (CRISPR Cas9) and study cancer at the single cell level. Additionally, our scientists: • Proved the link between cigarette smoking and cancer • First cured a solid tumor with chemotherapy • First cured a patient with Stage IV melanoma using only immunotherapy • Were directly involved in the development and approval of new targeted therapies such as Herceptin, Erbitux, Yervoy, and Zelboraf. In fact, in an analysis of 12 recently approved cancer drugs, discoveries by Damon Runyon scientists were cited as important in each one • Have founded innovative biotech companies, such as Juno Therapeutics, Syros Pharmacueticals, Sunesis Pharmaceuticals, and others Damon Runyon has invested over $360 million in more than 3,700 exceptional scientists. Damon Runyon cancer researchers have made extraordinary breakthroughs in every area of cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment. To this day, we support the next generation of leaders: emerging talent with unique insights, drive, and boundless vision. We will not stop until we have the tools to prevent or cure all cancers.