University Receives Anonymous Donation of £10 MILLION

Soton Uni given huge pots of money for cancer research.


A wealthy donor has anonymously parted with £20 million to help scientists fund cancer research, with the University benefiting from half of the money, it was announced this week.

Half the cash is going to Cancer Research UK to help fund the new London-based Francis Crick Institute whilst the University of Southampton will receive the other £10m – the largest single donation ever received by the University.

Cancer Research UK will receive half of the anonymous donation, while Southampton University will be getting the other £10m.

The money is going to be put towards the University’s new cancer immunology centre which will liaise with the Crick Institute, set to open in 2015.

Southampton University has long been at the forefront of research in the cancer immunology field, according to Professor Martin Glennie, head of Cancer Sciences and Professor of Immunochemistry here at Soton. He mentions that the department has been highly successful:

We were one of the first units to isolate antibodies and develop vaccines that trigger immunity against cancers of the prostate, colon and against leukemia.

In a press release, Vice-Chancellor Professor Don Nutbeam commented:

This is an extraordinary act of generosity by a very special individual. This donation of £10million is the largest ever gift received by the University of Southampton.

The University is now looking to use the donation from the anonymous benefactor to advance its role in cancer immunology research.