CLEVELAND – Philanthropists Michael and Anita Siegal are strong supporters of stem cell research and believe in helping children. That support and belief is what inspired them to give $1 million to University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital to establish The Anita H. and Michael D. Siegal Chair in Pediatric Experimental Transplantation and Stem Cell Biology. (The gift is matched by an additional $500,000 from the Rainbow Babies & Children’s Foundation.)
“Stem cell biology is the future of medicine, and children are the future of our world. This gift is meant to help cure disease and provide a more promising outlook for sick children,” said Anita Siegal. “We are blessed enough to support Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital’s pediatric cancer program with this gift, but our entire Northeast Ohio community is blessed to have such a phenomenal children’s hospital in our backyard. Continued support of the research and recruitment is truly at the heart of their success.”
The Anita H. and Michael D. Siegal Chair will provide for the recruitment of a physician scientist focused on the utility and application of stem cell-based therapies in the treatment of pediatric cancer. The chair holder will join a renowned team of stem-cell experts at Rainbow and the UH Ireland Cancer Center at University Hospitals Case Medical Center.
John J. Letterio, M.D., chief of pediatric hematology/oncology, joined Rainbow in 2005 following a 17-year career at the National Cancer Institute where he served as a member of the pediatric oncology branch and as the senior principal investigator in the Laboratory of Cell Regulation and Carcinogenesis at the NCI’s Center for Cancer Research.
“Our priority at Rainbow is to enhance our hematology/oncology division by placing major emphasis on translational research, with the aim of becoming a leader in developing new therapeutic approaches,” said Dr. Letterio. “We are extremely fortunate to be integrated into UH’s Ireland Cancer Center and for the support of Anita and Michael Siegal. The Siegal Chair will provide an opportunity for additional collaboration among our pediatric researchers and the team at Ireland, one of the top NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the nation.”
Stanton L. Gerson, M.D., is an internationally recognized leader in stem cell research and treatment and is the director of the Ireland Cancer Center. He also leads the National Center for Regenerative Medicine, a research partnership which includes Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals, where he has united international leaders in stem cell biology, therapeutics and clinical medicine to help develop novel cell-based therapies using non-embryonic stem cells.
“The Siegal Chair in Pediatric Experimental Transplantation and Stem Cell Biology will play a major role in bringing advances in the application of stem cell therapeutics into the pediatric population. To transfer the knowledge gained from the adult population through investigational therapeutics requires collaboration between physicians and scientists specializing in both adult and pediatric medicine,” said Dr. Gerson. “We are thrilled to be able to recruit a leader who will develop clinical trials that will create opportunities for pediatric, adolescent and young adult patients to participate in ground breaking research… and hopefully a chance to achieve a cure for cancer.”
Michael Siegal is chairman and chief executive officer of Olympic Steel. He and Anita reside in Gates Mills, Ohio.