The University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center has announced a $10 million grant from the AbbVie Foundation in support of scientific and educational initiatives.

The grant will enable Kunle Odunsi, who will be named the center's AbbVie Foundation director, to establish new cross-campus collaborations, advance novel therapies, recruit faculty, retain exceptional fellows, and promote community outreach and engagement. Odunsi, who pioneered the development of antigen-specific vaccine therapy and "next generation" adoptive T-cell immunotherapies — discoveries that have helped improve remission rates in women with ovarian cancer — joined UChicago Medicine this month and also serves as Biological Sciences Division dean for oncology and professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Chicago.

In addition, a portion of the grant will establish a permanent endowment to help support the work of the center in the future.

"The AbbVie Foundation's generous grant will provide our Comprehensive Cancer Center leadership with the resources necessary to advance cancer research and care through the ongoing pursuit of innovative investigation and development of novel cancer therapies that have the potential to improve the lives of people affected by cancer," said Kenneth Polonsky, dean and executive vice president for medical affairs at the University of Chicago.