Heil Chair in Cancer Research Established at Medical College of Wisconsin

The family of Ann E. Heil, a passionate, dedicated member of the Medical College of Wisconsin’s Cancer Center Board, has established an endowed chair at the Medical College to recruit an internationally renowned cancer researcher.
The Ann E. Heil Professor in Cancer Research will serve in a leadership role within the Medical College Cancer Center, advancing key growth areas in cancer genome research and cancer prevention.
Ann Heil died Feb. 20, 2011 at the age of 83, after a long battle with ovarian cancer. She served on the Medical College’s Cancer Center board for more than 20 years, and was the recipient of an honorary doctorate from the College.
Heil’s children, Katie, Paul and Peter, established the chair to honor their mother and continue her legacy of supporting cancer research efforts at the Medical College.
“She really lived her life in perpetual gratitude,” said Katie Heil. “She loved life, and I think that’s why she brought joy to everyone she met. Her family was her priority, but she was always involved in the community.”
“We have supreme appreciation for the vision of Ann Heil and the generosity of the Heil family to establish this chair, which will help launch the Medical College of Wisconsin Cancer Center into the upper echelon of cancer centers nationwide,” said John R. Raymond, Sr., M.D., President and CEO of the College.
Ming You, M.D., Ph.D., the director of the Medical College Cancer Center, who holds the Joseph F. Heil, Jr., Chair in Molecular Oncogenesis, lauded the Heil family for its dedication to the College’s goal of becoming a National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center.
“Ann Heil had a passion for the Cancer Center, and we intend to honor her gift by identifying an investigator of equal passion to hold her chair,” said Dr. You, who also serves as the Medical College’s senior associate dean for cancer research, education and clinical care.