Cancer Center at UCSD Gets $5-Million Gift

A San Diego couple has given $5 million to establish a trust fund in support of the cancer center at University of California, San Diego.

The donation by Ben Kelts, a venture capitalist and member of the UCSD Cancer Foundation board, and Sheri Kelts, a graduate of UCSD’s anthropology department, was accepted Friday by the University of California board of regents, which met in San Francisco.

“This generous gift comes at a pivotable time for the UCSD Cancer Center, and will contribute significantly to the continuing development of the basic research and clinical programs for which the UCSD Cancer Center has become nationally known,” University Chancellor Richard Atkinson said in a prepared statement.

Kelts, an investor specializing in high technology, said: “My wife and I are pleased to be part of the important work taking place at the UCSD Cancer Center, and we hope our support will help expand this vital resource and contribute to the fight against the scourge of cancer.”

The UCSD Cancer Center is one of 40 federally designated and supported clinical and research cancer centers nationwide, performing conventional and experimental treatments for all forms of malignancy.

On Friday, the University of California Board of Regents also approved the establishment of an endowed chair at UCSD’s Biology Department to honor the late Stephen W. Kuffler, a Harvard professor and pioneer in the studying of the nervous system. The endowment was made possible by an anonymous $500,000 gift by an East Coast foundation.