Philanthropists Irwin and Joan Jacobs of La Jolla, CA have made an additional major gift to the Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma Research Foundation (ACCRF) to foster rapid advances in the understanding and treatment of adenoid cystic carcinoma. The Jacobs' most recent donation brings their cumulative support for the foundation to $1.65 million. "The remarkable generosity of the Jacobs has permitted the foundation to act much more quickly in approving and undertaking cancer research projects that use leading-edge technological platforms," noted Jeffrey Kaufman, ACCRF's Co-Founder and Executive Director. "Irwin and Joan share our goals of identifying ACC's vulnerabilities and moving quickly toward targeted clinical trials for patients in need."
Irwin Jacobs founded the telecommunications firm Qualcomm, where he served as CEO until July 2005 and Chairman of the Board of Directors until March 2009. A graduate of Cornell University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Dr. Jacobs taught electrical engineering at MIT and the University of California, San Diego before pioneering the commercial development of digital wireless technology.
Dr. Jacobs was diagnosed with ACC in 2007 after noticing a bump near his left ear. He was treated at the University of California, San Francisco and remains in very good health. Following his surgery and radiation therapy, he read about ACCRF in the Wall Street Journal and contacted the organization. Beyond offering their financial support to the research effort, Dr. and Mrs. Jacobs also hosted an ACCRF Scientific Forum of leading cancer researchers at the Salk Institute, where he serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees.
"Joan and I have been very impressed with the research program organized by Marnie and Jeff and with the researchers that they have attracted and sponsored," noted Irwin Jacobs. "We believe that this is a very important research and (soon) clinical effort, not only because I have suffered from ACC as have many others, but also because I believe this program provides a valuable model for organizing attacks on other rare cancers."
The Jacobs will be the first inductees into ACCRF's Circle of Sustenance, major donors who lead the mission to cure ACC. In addition to funding ACCRF's largest research projects, members of the Circle of Sustenance cover the foundation's administrative expenses, thereby ensuring that all other donations are applied directly to research programs.