Utah Legislature Allocates $75 Million to Vineyard Cancer Research Center

Mary Beckerle, PhD

Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah (the U) received $75 million from the Utah Legislature toward a cancer research and academic building in Utah County. This building is part of the first phase of Huntsman Cancer Institute’s plan to establish a second comprehensive cancer center in Utah, bringing cancer research and care closer to the communities we serve.

Following the June 2023 announcement of a $75 million lead matching gift from the Huntsman Foundation, the project plans have steadily advanced. Earlier this year, a 20-acre land donation from Flagship Companies and Woodbury Corporation was announced. New student training and research opportunities with Utah Valley University and Brigham Young University have already moved forward and other significant philanthropic support and programmatic investments have been secured.

“Our vision is to deliver a cancer-free frontier, and we believe that work begins right here in Utah,” explains Mary Beckerle, PhD, CEO of Huntsman Cancer Institute and distinguished professor of biology at the U. “The opportunities presented by a second campus in Utah will allow us to make a major impact in research, training the healthcare workforce of the future, and bringing our science-powered cancer care closer to the communities we serve throughout the entire state.”

Taylor Randall, president of the University of Utah, expressed his support for the funding request. “This is a remarkable project that we believe promises to help deliver hope to people impacted by cancer in the state of Utah. It will help us further cement Utah’s role as a world leader in cancer research innovations that save lives and enhance livelihoods.”

Throughout the 2024 legislative session, Huntsman Cancer Institute was honored to receive broad support from the community including patients, scientists, medical doctors, and students, as well as academic leaders from Brigham Young University and Utah Valley University.

While addressing legislators at a hearing on the plan, Peter Huntsman, chairman and CEO of Huntsman Cancer Foundation, said, “We assure you, we will look back on this project over future generations and thank you for lives that have been lengthened, the lives that have been saved, and the opportunity that this has given the state of Utah.”

Huntsman Cancer Institute plans to break ground on the research center in Vineyard in late 2024.