Munshi Awarded Endowed Professorship Honoring Ann Lurie

A new professorship honoring the late Ann Lurie, a transformative donor in the Northwester community and beyond, will support Hidayatullah G. Munshi, MD, ’02 GME, who in September was appointed chief of the Division of Hematology and Oncology in the Department of Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

The Ann Lurie Professorship in Hematology and Oncology honors Ms. Lurie and her outstanding generosity and longtime commitment to the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University and patients with cancer around the world. Ms. Lurie passed away on June 24, 2024.

The professorship, which supports the chief of the Division of Hematology and Oncology, was first announced in 2021 and established in 2024.

“This professorship is a tremendous honor as I begin my tenure as chief of the Division of Hematology and Oncology in the Department of Medicine,” Dr. Munshi said. “Ann Lurie transformed the field of cancer care through philanthropy, and I hope to do my part to honor her legacy through this endowed professorship kindly established by her friends in her name.” 

A named and endowed professorship, created in perpetuity, represents the highest honor a university can bestow upon its faculty. These positions represent the pinnacle of academic achievement and excellence and are reserved for our most distinguished and productive physicians and scientists. They carry great prestige and impact for the benefactor, the appointed holder of the professorship, and the University and medical school.

Dr. Munshi leads compelling research into pancreatic cancer, which is projected to be the second-leading cause of cancer-related death by 2030. Prior to his appointment as division chief, he oversaw initiatives identifying novel combination regimens to enhance immunotherapy responses in pancreatic cancer and overcome resistance to KRAS inhibitors.

These high-risk projects are unlikely to be funded by the National Institutes of Health without generating substantial preliminary data, he said. “Professorships give my lab the resources we need to move our research in exciting directions that we think will significantly impact the lives of cancer patients.”

Support from donors has also enabled many clinical trials in the division and provided resources to cancer patients so that they can receive life-saving care at the Lurie Cancer Center, he added.

“Dr. Munshi is beyond deserving of this high honor, which bolsters his important research endeavors,” said Leonidas C. Platanias, MD, PhD, director of the Lurie Cancer Center and the Jesse, Sara, Andrew, Abigail, Benjamin and Elizabeth Lurie Professor of Oncology. “We are thrilled at the Lurie Cancer Center to continue our work with Dr. Munshi as he embarks on this new chapter of his career.”

Donors to the endowed Ann Lurie Professorship in Hematology and Oncology expressed admiration for Ann Lurie’s vision, philanthropy, and impact. Lester Crown ’46, a longtime friend of Ms. Lurie’s and life trustee at Northwestern University, said his gift was inspired by Ms. Lurie’s character.

Honoring a Cancer Trailblazer

“Ann Lurie was one of the true treasures of our city,” Mr. Crown said in January 2024. “She was brilliant, knowledgeable, thoughtful, involved, and unbelievably generous. We therefore were very pleased to support this initiative to establish a professorship in her honor.”

Eric G. Neilson, MD, vice president for Medical Affairs and Lewis Landsberg Dean at Feinberg, surprised Ms. Lurie with news of the professorship during a special dinner in 2021 commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Lurie Cancer Center’s naming by Ann and Robert H. Lurie and its dedication.

Dean Neilson and his wife, Linda, also donated to the professorship.

“Ann Lurie’s steadfast commitment over the last three decades was instrumental in transforming Northwestern’s Cancer Center into a national beacon of excellence,” Dean Neilson said. “Her legacy is a testament to the enduring power of generosity and the profound change it can spark in medical innovation and compassionate care. We are honored to be able to continue this legacy through the new endowed chair in her name.”

For more information about supporting endowed professorships, the Division of Hematology and Oncology in the Department of Medicine, or the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, please contact Terri Dillon at terri-dillon@northwestern.edu or 312-503-4837.