Michels family donates $27M to cancer research at Medical College of Wisconsin

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MILWAUKEE – The Medical College of Wisconsin today announced a landmark $27 million gift from Tim and Barbara Michels and the Michels Family Foundation to the MCW Cancer Center — this represents the largest personal gift ever to the MCW Cancer Center. In recognition of this transformational investment, MCW’s new cancer research facility will be officially named the “Medical College of Wisconsin Michels Center for Cancer Discovery.”

This gift is deeply personal for the Michels family. Their daughter, Sophie, was just 11 years old when she was diagnosed in 2012 with choroid plexus carcinoma, a rare and aggressive form of pediatric brain cancer. Now, nearly 15 years later, Sophie is healthy and thriving — a testament to the renowned precision oncology expertise and research-driven care of MCW’s physicians and scientists. It’s also a journey that has further cemented the family’s commitment to accelerating leading-edge cancer research and expanding access to personalized cancer care.

“Our family knows firsthand what it means to face a rare cancer diagnosis with few treatment options, and even fewer answers,” said Tim and Barbara Michels in a statement. “We’re investing in the Medical College of Wisconsin because we believe in their extraordinary scientists and physicians to turn today’s breakthrough cancer discoveries into tomorrow’s cures. No family should have to face cancer without hope, and that’s exactly what this gift is about — giving more families hope and giving cancer researchers the resources to deliver on it.”

A bold commitment to advancing cancer research breakthroughs

This transformational gift will enable the MCW Cancer Center to:

• Bring additional world-class precision oncology talent to MCW, attracting preeminent investigators and clinicians
  who can propel the next generation of cancer breakthroughs.
• Enhance its technological infrastructure to power the translation of scientific discoveries into life-changing
  therapies and clinical advancements for cancer patients.
• Train and develop the next generation of cancer scientists, innovators, and entrepreneurs who will shape the
  future of oncology care.
• Expand access to precision oncology-driven prevention and early detection strategies, with a particular focus on
  rural and medically underserved communities throughout Wisconsin.

“We’re grateful to the Michels family for their remarkable kindness. The philanthropic leadership they’ve demonstrated will only further elevate the Medical College of Wisconsin as a burgeoning hub for exceptional medical research and a premier destination for leading cancer investigators and clinicians,” said John R. Raymond, Sr., MD, MCW’s president and chief executive officer. “Cancer is one of the toughest health challenges we face. The Michels’ transformational investment ensures groundbreaking cancer discoveries can move quickly from our scientists’ labs to a patient’s bedside. This is where their gift’s true impact will be measured – in the countless lives that will be saved.”