Overview
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is one of the world’s premier cancer care and research centers. Internationally renown for blending basic and clinical cancer research and bringing new treatments from the laboratory to the patient’s bedside.
Since its founding in 1947 by the late Sidney Farber, M.D., Dana-Farber has made significant strides in the fight against cancer. Originally named the Children’s Cancer Research Foundation, it began one of the first research programs in chemotherapy for children with cancer. The Institute is a principle teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School, and is one of 35 federally-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers. In addition to its reputation for its work in cancer care and biology, Dana-Farber is also recognized as one of the nation’s leading AIDS research centers, owning the distinction of being among only 16 designated Centers for AIDS Research in the United States.
Continuing its leadership in cancer research and the development of new therapies, in December 1999, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute along with the Harvard School of Public Health, Harvard Medical School and its teaching affiliates, Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center fromed the Dana-Farber Harvard Cancer Center. This venture marks the first collaborative effort to bring together the intellectual resources of the Harvard teaching hospitals and the School of Public Health to focus on one mission – the eradication of cancer.