$1 million gift to benefit personalized cancer therapy at UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center

SAN DIEGO - A $1 million gift from philanthropists Joan and Irwin Jacobs will go toward the recently established Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy at the UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, the university announced today.

The Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy will be run by oncologist Razelle Kurzrock, and will individualize treatment based on abnormalities in a patient's genetic profile and specific type of cancer.

Irwin Jacob said he and his wife became increasingly excited as they learned about Kurzrock's success in translational work and personalized medicine, as well as the physician's plans for the center.

''We agreed it was important to help ensure that this new center move ahead rapidly, with research and support of clinical trials in an area that could have such positive results on cancer patients from around the world,'' Jacobs said.

Three years ago, the couple donated $75 million to fund the Jacobs Medical Center, which is scheduled to open in 2016, and a decade ago gave $110 million for the Jacobs School of Engineering, university officials said.

Irwin Jacobs was a founding UCSD faculty member before becoming the founding chairman and CEO of Qualcomm Inc. His wife co-founded the Friends of the International Center and the Friends of the Stuart Collection.

The couple has also donated to scholarship and fellowship programs, the School of Medicine, the Division of Arts and Humanities, the School of International Relations and Pacific Studies, the Stuart Collection and the Rady School of Management, according to the university.