University of Hawaii alumnus and philanthropist Jay H. Shidler is donating $1 million to the University of Hawaii Cancer Center.

The donation is designated for the Director’s Innovation Fund to support Cancer Center Director Naoto T. Ueno and his goals of advancing critical research and fostering community engagement.

The Cancer Center said in a news release that the donation comes at a critical time as it moves into its next phase as an advanced research and patient care facility with the opening in 2025 of its Ho‘ola Early Phase Clinical Research Center.

“Our mission is saving lives, from breakthrough testing and treatments, through research, to making sure that each patient who has cancer is able to receive the highest-quality treatment right here in the islands,” said Ueno in a statement. “This generous support from Mr. Shidler will make a major impact toward providing innovative care for cancer patients and the community through multiple new initiatives.”

The Cancer Center’s statistics show that an annual average of 7,393 local residents are diagnosed with invasive cancer, leading to 2,393 deaths each year.

The UH center is one of only 72 research organizations nationwide designated by the National Cancer Institute, and the only one in the Pacific. The Cancer Center is researching and serving Asian, Pacific Islander and Native Hawaiian populations, which are “often overrepresented for cancer risk.”

Ueno was selected to lead the Cancer Center in 2022, and Shidler in the news release announcing the donation noted Ueno’s efforts to advance cancer research, develop new treatments in Hawaii and focus on greater community engagement.

“The leadership skills and experience Dr. Ueno brings to Hawaii are crucial as the UH Cancer Center prepares to offer early-phase clinical trial treatments to patients next year, and I want to ensure he has the cutting-edge resources needed to make it a success,” Shidler said. “Cancer impacts so many lives here and we’re fortunate to have Dr. Ueno and the UH Cancer Center’s top-notch researchers working to save those lives.”

The Cancer Center plans to complete its Early Phase Clinical Research Center in 2025 — a milestone that will make it possible for some cancer patients to receive “cutting-edge treatments through early-stage clinical trials, tailored for different racial and ethnic groups,” without having to leave the islands.

A portion of the donation will be used to purchase advanced imaging and analysis equipment to improve the accuracy of cancer drug screening, to accelerate the development of new treatments and to hire skilled technicians and researchers. Funds will also be used to strengthen the Cancer Center’s community outreach, and Ueno plans to work with the John A. Burns School of Medicine on programs to address Hawaii’s chronic shortage of oncologists.

Shidler previously this year gave the Cancer Center $100,000, which was used to help increase public awareness as the center approaches the opening of the new Ho‘ola Early Phase Clinical Research Center.

”We are incredibly grateful for the confidence and trust Jay Shidler has shown in Dr. Ueno and the work being done by the excellent researchers at the UH Cancer Center,” said Tim Dolan, UH vice president of advancement and CEO of the University of Hawai‘i Foundation. “The UH Cancer Center is an unsung resource for everyone who lives in Hawai‘i and we’re excited to see Dr. Ueno’s vision come to fruition.”