Allegheny Health Network announces $25 million donation for cancer research

Allegheny Health Network given $25M gift to expand cancer research, clinical trials Advertisement Updated: 9:06 PM EST Nov 12, 2026 Editorial Standards ⓘ Chandi Chapman Anchor/Reporter Allegheny Health Network given $25M gift to expand cancer research, clinical trials Updated: 9:06 PM EST Nov 12, 2026 Editorial Standards ⓘ Chandi Chapman Anchor/Reporter PITTSBURGH — Allegheny Health Network announced a historic $25 million donation that will be used to expand cancer research, clinical trials, and patient care. Jim Fitterling, executive chairman and former president and CEO of Dow, made the multi-million-dollar investment. Advertisement “When you’re facing a cancer diagnosis, having the right physician, the right treatment and a reason to hope can make all the difference. I know that firsthand because of the extraordinary care I received from Dr. Bartlett,” Fitterling said. “My hope is that this gift will help accelerate research and discovery so that more patients have access to innovative treatment options and the best chance of a successful outcome.” In recognition of the donation, the AHN Cancer Center and all of its clinical locations will be rebranded to the AHN James R. Fitterling Cancer Center. Fitterling, who battled stage IV appendiceal cancer and received life-saving treatment at AHN, said his gift will help others. "After having kind of a second lease on life, and having the opportunity to be president and chief executive officer of Dow for the last eight years, it's a chance for me to give back so that other people have access to the treatments that I got, but also new treatments that are being developed -- whether those are immunotherapy treatments, or maybe even, at some point, a vaccine that could help -- and reduce the need for some of these really invasive surgeries," he said. "It's an extraordinary investment from somebody who's not even from Pittsburgh to come into Pittsburgh and invest in Allegheny Health Network and the research that we can do here and the care that we can provide our cancer patients," said David Holmberg, president and CEO of Highmark Health. AHN plans to enroll tens of thousands more patients for treatment and develop trials for a cancer vaccine as a result of the donation. "The significance of today extends well beyond a dollar amount or a name," said Amanda Ranalli, chief development officer at AHN. "This gift grows from a deeply personal story of cancer, life-saving care, and an enduring relationship between a patient and his physician. It is a remarkable example of how one person's experience can ultimately create new possibilities for countless others." Directly from Allegheny Health Network: The $25 million gift will support eight clinical, research and patient-care priorities: Endowed Chair in Oncology : Recruit and retain leading academic talent in cancer medicine and research. Biomarker Moonshot expansion : Enroll an additional 10,000 patients in AHN’s cancer data and biospecimen research initiative. Multi-omics research : Conduct AI-supported multi-omics analysis involving 1,000 patients to better understand individual cancers and identify potential treatment targets. Cell therapy clinical trials : Launch five novel cell therapy trials involving 100 patients over five years. Appendix and peritoneal cancer trials : Support five novel trials over five years investigating new treatment options for these complex cancers. Personalized cancer vaccine discovery : Develop a novel personalized cancer vaccine from early research through clinical trial. T-cell immunotherapy discovery : Develop a novel T-cell immunotherapy from initial engineering through human clinical trial. Cancer patient ambassadors and navigation : Expand AHN’s Community Cancer Patient Ambassador Program and related navigation services to reach more patients. Make WTAE a preferred source on Google Add Preferred Source Share Infinite Scroll Enabled Top Picks VIDEO: Frankie Muniz says he's recovering after crash at Daytona International Speedway Newly released Ring camera shows Brooklyn building collapsing WATCH: Master carver engraves crystals from last year's New Year's Eve ball Anthony Clark, a comedian and actor who starred on 'Yes, Dear,' dies