The Berdakin family has committed $500,000 to the UCLA Jonsson Cancer Center Foundation to establish the Berdakin Research Fund for Thoracic Oncology. This gift will expand the efforts of Dr. Edward B. Garon (FEL ’06) to improve the efficacy of immunotherapy in patients with lung cancer.
“This project represents a crucial step toward developing a new treatment model that is customized to each individual,” said Dr. Garon. “I am tremendously grateful to the Berdakin family for its partnership in our mission to provide more effective therapies to patients in need.”
In addition, the Berdakin family contributed $500,000 to establish the Berdakin Fellowship in Interventional Pulmonology, a specialty using advanced, minimally invasive procedures to diagnose and treat both malignant and nonmalignant disorders of the lungs and airways. The UCLA Interventional Pulmonology Program is one of only a few comprehensive interventional-pulmonology services in the country.
“We appreciate the generosity of the Berdakin family, which will enable us to train the next generation of physicians who will be leaders in the field,” said Dr. Scott Oh, co-director of interventional pulmonology. “Philanthropic support allows us to purchase leading-edge equipment and advance research as we seek to develop new and better treatment options.”
For more information, contact Ellen Haddigan-Durgun at: 310-206-3878.
