$25 million in new funding for Research from Jon and Mindy Gray raises their giving to over $375 million

Jon and Mindy Gray’s Gray Foundation announced $25 million in funding for 7 research teams to study new approaches for prevention, early detection, and interception of BRCA-related cancers.
The new grants are part of the Foundation’s ongoing Team Science program, which funds innovative BRCA-related collaborative research. For this cycle, the research teams were selected from more than 55 applications through an extensive evaluation led by Chi Van Dang, MD, PhD, Chief Science Advisor for the Gray Foundation, supported by a review committee composed of leading experts in the field.
The selected multi-institutional, multi-disciplinary teams will commence studies into a variety of topics related to prevention, early detection, and interception. Grants were awarded to teams led by:
Angela Belcher, PhD – Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Joan Brugge, PhD – Harvard Medical School
Dipanjan Chowdhury, PhD – Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Amy Degnim, MD – Mayo Clinic
Shawn Demehri, MD, PhD – Massachusetts General Hospital
Judy Garber, MD – Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Kenneth Olive, PhD – Columbia University
Dr. Dang commented: “The new research supported by the Foundation is innovative and wide-ranging, but also coherent and focused on our mission of improving prevention, early detection and interception of BRCA-related cancers. The selected teams represent some of the most promising in cancer research and we look forward to the impact of their work.”
The Gray Foundation’s Mindy and Jon Gray added: “As we double down on our Team Science program, it is our fervent hope that families have far better options than exist today. We are inspired to support this cutting-edge research across institutions as we continue to make progress in early detection, prevention, and interception of BRCA-related cancers.”
With these grants, the Gray Foundation has committed $187 million to supporting BRCA research.
In 2012, the Grays established the Basser Center for BRCA at Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center, the first center in the world exclusively focused on BRCA cancers, and in 2022 funded the creation of the Basser Cancer Interception Institute with an additional $55 million.
The Foundation has supported leading medical institutions including the Cleveland Clinic, Duke Cancer Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, University of Southern California Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, and Yale School of Medicine.
The Gray Foundation is focused on accelerating research, improving treatment and raising awareness for individuals who have inherited BRCA mutations.
In addition, the Foundation is committed to improving the lives of low-income youth in New York City. The Foundation partners with leading nonprofits to expand access to education, healthcare and opportunity for children across all five boroughs.
Jon Gray is the Co-Founder of the Gray Foundation. He is also the President and Chief Operating Officer of Blackstone, one of the world’s leading investment firms.
Formerly, Jon served as Blackstone’s Global Head of Real Estate. Since joining Blackstone in 1992, Jon has helped build the largest real estate platform in the world.
Jon currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Hilton Worldwide. He also serves on the board of Harlem Village Academies.
Jon received a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the Wharton School, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in English from the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania.
Mindy Gray is the Co-Founder of the Gray Foundation. She is the Chair of the Basser Leadership Council and serves on the boards of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and NYC Kids RISE. Mindy is actively involved at the Harlem Village Academies charter schools and sits on the Leadership Council of Peer Health Exchange, an organization dedicated to giving teens a comprehensive health education.
Previously, Mindy worked as an editor at Ziff Davis Publishing and as a marketing executive at Edwin Schlossberg, Inc.
Mindy received her Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in History from the University of Pennsylvania.
Jon and Mindy Gray founded the Gray Foundation in 2014.
To date,they have given well over $375 million in support of these missions.