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Visionary Force Behind
UCLA Pancreatic-Cancer Research
It takes a visionary philanthropist with a
strong conviction about what is possible
American Idol finalist Jessica Sanchez
was among the musical performers.
Canadian quartet The Tenors thrilled
the crowd.
Grammy Award-winning musician David
Foster enlivened the evening.
to recognize the potential of pioneering
research. Agi Hirshberg is one such person.
Her nearly $5-million investment in UCLA
over an 18-year period has yielded a return
of more than 11 times that amount in
support of novel investigations that have
had a profound impact on pancreatic-
cancer research and care. Following the
loss of her husband Ronald S. Hirshberg to
pancreatic cancer in 1997, Hirshberg was
determined to respond in a meaningful
way. She founded the Hirshberg Foundation
for Pancreatic Cancer Research, which
focuses on advancing pancreatic-cancer
investigations and on supporting pancreatic-
cancer patients and their families with
information and resources.
UCLA was the beneficiary of the
foundation’s first gift, which established the
Ronald S. Hirshberg Translational Pancreatic
Cancer Research Laboratory and the Ronald
S. Hirshberg Chair in Translational Pancreatic
Cancer Research. “Agi’s vision, dedication
and key support have made UCLA pancreatic
research one of the premier programs in
the nation,” says Vay Liang W. Go, MD,
distinguished professor of medicine, director,
UCLA Center for Excellence in Pancreatic
Diseases in the David Geffen School of
Medicine at UCLA and editor-in-chief
of the journal Pancreas.
The Hirshberg Foundation Seed Grant
Program, established in 2000, is an extremely
successful program that provides start-up
funds for scientists with innovative ideas,
enabling them to pursue new research
that will lead to improved diagnosis, new
treatments and a greater understanding
of pancreatic-cancer cell biology. The seed
funding allows researchers to take investigative
risks and compile the necessary data needed
to apply for funding from the government
and other agencies. The foundation estimates
this has resulted in $45 million in additional
support for its national awardees.
Agi Hirshberg (center) with (from left) UCLA Drs. Vay Liang
W. Go, Guido Eibl, F. Charles Brunicardi, Howard Reber and
Joe Hines (RES ’97) at the Agi Hirshberg Symposium on
Pancreatic Cancer at the UCLA Faculty Center.
Photo: Courtesy of Agi Hirshberg
Hirshberg received the 2013 American
Pancreatic Association Distinguished Service
Award for her commitment to pancreatic-
cancer research, which includes the annual
Hirshberg Award supporting young
investigators in the field. Since 2010, she has
hosted the Hirshberg Foundation Keynote
Symposium, which assembles top researchers
in the field of pancreatic cancer to discuss vital
topics. The foundation sponsors the LA Cancer
Challenge, an annual (October) 5K/10K walk/
run launched in 1998, and the Tour de Pier,
which started in 2013, both of which were
created by Lisa Manheim and Jon Hirshberg
in memory of his father.
A dynamic UCLA supporter, Hirshberg
is the president of Women & Philanthropy at
UCLA and serves on the UCLA Foundation
Philanthropy Committee and the David Geffen
School of Medicine at UCLA Board of Visitors.
“Agi Hirshberg has had a major role in the
growth and development of one of the busiest
and most-successful clinical programs for
the multidisciplinary treatment of pancreatic
cancer in the country,” says Howard A. Reber,
MD, distinguished professor of surgery, chief
of gastrointestinal surgery and director of the
Center for Pancreatic Diseases at UCLA. “She
has turned her personal loss into a powerful
positive force to help patients afflicted with this
dreaded disease and their families.”
U MAGAZINE
49