$15 million gift from Tom and Cydney Marsico for data science initiative to transform the fight against pancreatic cancer

CU Anschutz has launched a pioneering data science initiative to transform the fight against pancreatic cancer, made possible by a $15 million philanthropic gift from Tom and Cydney Marsico.

The program will leverage artificial intelligence, spatial transcriptomics, and single-cell multiomics to uncover the biological drivers of one of the most lethal cancers and accelerate the development of personalized therapies.

“This extraordinary philanthropic investment from Tom and Cydney Marsico will accelerate research and innovation with tremendous potential for saving lives,” said CU Anschutz Chancellor Don Elliman.

“By combining the exceptional skill of our researchers with the most advanced data science tools available, we are poised to make real progress against one of the most devastating cancers.”

The Marsicos’ gift will support the recruitment of leading scientists, expansion of biobanking and sequencing infrastructure, and the creation of multimodal datasets linking biological insights to patient outcomes.

Leaders at CU Anschutz emphasized that this investment will allow discoveries to be rapidly translated into clinical trials, offering new hope to patients.

“Without Mr. Marsico’s vision and support, none of this would have been possible. This is a moonshot gift that ultimately gives hope to our patients,” said Kimberly Muller, vice chancellor for innovation and biotechnology.

CU Cancer Center director Richard Schulick added, “Breakthroughs don’t happen in isolation. They’re powered by the generosity of philanthropic leaders like Tom and Cydney Marsico, who make it possible for us to explore research that changes lives.”