Ludwig Cancer Research

"Ludwig Institute" redirects here. For the Ludwig Institute for Shared Economic Prosperity, see Eugene Ludwig.

Ludwig Cancer Research is an international network of research institutes and laboratories that conduct basic, translational, and clinical studies on cancer. It encompasses the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research (LICR), an international non-profit organization founded in 1971 by American businessman and philanthropist Daniel K. Ludwig, and six endowed and independent Ludwig Centers that were established in 2006 at prominent U.S. institutions of biomedical research.^[1][2]

Ludwig Cancer Research

Founded	1971
Founder	Daniel K. Ludwig
Focus	Cancer Research
Headquarters	New York, NY, USA; Zürich, Switzerland
Area served	International
Key people	Chi Van Dang, MD, PhD (CEO and Scientific Director); Jonathan Skipper, PhD (President)
Website	www.ludwigcancerresearch.org

Ludwig Cancer Research has funded basic and translational cancer research through LICR—which financially supports and oversees Branches and laboratories at leading academic institutions in Europe and the U.S.—and through the six U.S.-based Ludwig Centers.

Overview

Ludwig Cancer Research supports fundamental and translational cancer research, focusing on cancer immunology, genomics, cancer metabolism, metastasis, epigenetics and the tumor microenvironment, with an emphasis on applying this research to the development of novel diagnostics and therapies. It encompasses three research Branches overseen by LICR, which has its own endowment, and six separately endowed and independent Ludwig Centers at U.S. institutions.^[1][2] Its global structure seeks to foster collaboration across this network to advance the understanding of cancer biology and the application of that knowledge to its prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.

History

Daniel K. Ludwig, a shipping and real estate magnate, founded LICR in 1971 with an initial endowment of foreign assets from his business holdings.^[3][4]

Between 1971 and 1974, Ludwig transferred his international assets to the Institute, a gift then valued at more than US$560 million (equivalent to about US$3.6 billion in 2025). This created what was for decades the world’s largest philanthropic entity dedicated to cancer research. LICR operated a global conglomerate, including a major oil shipping business, whose profits funded its worldwide Branches until 1992, when it sold its assets and invested the proceeds in financial markets.

Following Ludwig’s death in 1992, his remaining assets established the Virginia and D.K. Ludwig Fund for Cancer Research. The Fund initially supported endowed professorships and chairs of clinical investigation with assets of US$69 million.^[4] In 2006, the Fund donated US$330 million to establish six Ludwig Centers at leading U.S. academic institutions.^[5] In 2014, the Fund distributed an additional US$540 million to the Centers and was subsequently dissolved.^[2]

Notable achievements

Ludwig Cancer Research and its scientists have contributed to cancer biology and treatment.^[4] Highlights include:

• Participation in the discovery of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and the tumor suppressor p53.^[6]
• Foundational work on tumor-specific antigens, supporting the development of cancer vaccines and immunotherapies.^[7]
• Establishing the link between human papillomavirus (HPV) and cervical cancer, paving the way for the HPV vaccine.^[8]
• Cloning of granulocyte-monocyte colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), widely used in cancer therapy and experimental immunotherapies.^[9]
• Contributions to checkpoint inhibitor therapy and the development of immune response criteria for clinical trials.^[10]

Branches and centers

Branches

Since its founding, the Ludwig Institute has supported laboratory groups located at major universities and hospitals worldwide. These Branches serve as hubs of research and collaboration. As of 2025, the following Branches are active:^[11]

• Lausanne Branch – Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne, Switzerland (focus: Cancer immunology)
• Princeton Branch – Princeton University, New Jersey, USA (focus: cancer metabolism)
• Oxford Branch – University of Oxford, United Kingdom (focus: cancer plasticity and epigenetics)

Previously, the Institute also operated branches in London, Brussels, Sydney, São Paulo, San Diego, and other locations.^[4]

Laboratories

LICR also supports two laboratories in Brussels (affiliated with the Oxford Branch), a Ludwig Collaborative Laboratory at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City, and the Scientific Director’s laboratory at Johns Hopkins University.^[11]

Centers

In 2006, the Virginia and D.K. Ludwig Fund for Cancer Research endowed six Ludwig Centers:^[5]

• Harvard Medical School
• Johns Hopkins University
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
• Stanford University
• University of Chicago

In 2014, the Fund distributed an additional US$540 million to the Centers and was dissolved.^[2]

Leadership

Chi Van Dang has been CEO of LICR since July 2024 ^[1] and has also been the Institute's Scientific Director since 2016.^[12] The president is Jonathan Skipper, and the chairman of the board is Edward McDermott Jr., former President and CEO of LICR.^[1]

See also

• Cancer research
• Immunotherapy
• Cancer immunology