Melvin and Bren Simon of Indianapolis committed $50M to the Indiana University Cancer Center to support both cancer research and patient-care initiatives. The cancer center research program and patient-care facilities (part of IU Medical Center on the IUPUI campus) will be named the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center .

"Indiana University is deeply grateful for the philanthropy of Melvin and Bren Simon," said IU President Adam Herbert. "Their passion for helping others will have a major impact on the lives of Hoosier families for generations to come. Their generosity will immediately move IU even higher among the ranks of the best cancer centers in America."

Half of the $50M gift will be used to create the Joshua Max Simon Research Endowment to recruit and retain internationally renowned researchers to Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM) and support the school's laboratory research programs. The other half will fund expansion of the cancer center's patient-care facility, a collaboration between IUSM and Clarian Health.

"This transformative gift will give us the resources to attract and retain the talented faculty so critical to saving lives. This truly is the Indiana Life Sciences Initiative in action." said D. Craig Brater, MD, vice president for life sciences at IU and dean of IUSM.