A Beam of Discovery and Hope

Celebrating the momentum of the new MCW Cancer Research Building

Cindy Johnson, MCW donor and patient

It has been hard to miss the exciting influx of construction equipment and workers in hardhats on the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center (MRMC) campus who are bringing the new MCW cancer research building to life. Anticipated to be completed in 2025, this state-of-the-art, 150,000-square-foot architectural landmark will be eastern Wisconsin’s first and only cancer-dedicated biohub and research facility. Discoveries made in this new building will drive the latest innovations in cancer prevention, therapies and solutions at Froedtert Hospital, Children’s Wisconsin and affiliated hospitals.

“People will turn off Watertown Plank Road and say ‘WOW!’” says Jeff Gruhn, vice president of project development at Mortenson, the construction manager for this ambitious project. “We are on the front end of creating the best facility for the brightest minds in cancer discovery and are building some of the greatest laboratory spaces Wisconsin has ever seen!”

With more than 20 years of construction experience across the MRMC campus, Gruhn and the Mortenson team are committed to supporting cancer research and care, including recent generous corporate gifts to MCW and Froedtert Hospital. “The Mortenson tagline, ‘Let’s Redefine Possible’®, aligns perfectly with MCW’s cancer mission,” notes Gruhn. “The new cancer research building is a beacon of hope and life-changing possibilities for those facing a challenging diagnosis.”

A major milestone for any building project is the completion of the structural phase of the project. To that end, the MCW Cancer Center hosted an on-campus gathering on March 5, 2024, to give students, researchers and community members alike an opportunity to “put their names” on future cancer breakthroughs by signing a celebratory construction beam that will become a permanent fixture in the new building.

(Pictured right: Ginny Bolger, MCW donor)

The gathering included remarks from Joseph E. Kerschner, MD ’90, FEL ’98, executive vice president, provost and the Julia A. Uihlein, MA, Dean of the School of Medicine; and Gustavo Leone, PhD, director of the MCW Cancer Center, senior associate dean of cancer research, and the Dr. Glenn R. and Nancy A. Linnerson Endowed Chair for Cancer Research.

“This meaningful beam signifies our lasting commitment to addressing the cancer burden in Wisconsin and improving clinical outcomes for our patients,” Dr. Kerschner said at the event. He and other MCW leaders expressed their gratitude to the state of Wisconsin for a $10 million grant that is helping to fund the construction of the new building.

Dr. Leone noted that having a dedicated cancer research facility has been a priority for MCW for a long time, and that it was exciting to have achieved such a key milestone in pursuit of this goal. Attendees also learned that the building’s scientific neighborhoods and entrepreneurial biohub will enhance collaborative team science and provide access to cutting-edge technologies and shared resources for more than 650 Cancer Center investigators and staff.

“The new MCW cancer research building is the engine that will fuel innovation, accelerate research breakthroughs and make possible new cancer treatments for patients across our state and beyond,” Dr. Leone remarked at the event. “It will also spark collaboration among some of the world’s top cancer researchers who are working every day, right here at MCW, to eradicate cancer as we know it.”

While marking an important step in the facility’s construction, the beam-signing behind MCW’s cancer mission. As shared by Sheila Parrish-Spence, JD, co-chair of the MCW Cancer Center Community Advisory Board, “The beam is a symbol of increased progress in the fight against cancer. I am excited that the cancer research building will benefit people of all ages, ethnic groups, generations and communities nationwide.”

Parrish-Spence’s sentiments are echoed by Jan Claussen, a retired nurse who previously worked at Froedtert Hospital. “My family has a long history of cancer, so cancer discovery and care have been a lifelong mission for me,” says Claussen (pictured left), who generously made a planned gift to MCW in gratitude for the exceptional care she received for breast cancer. With her drive to find a cure, Claussen was touched by the opportunity to sign her name on the beam. “I want to increase community awareness of cancer prevention and support research that prolongs the lives of men and women, especially diverse populations that are often ignored.”

Like Claussen, Cindy Johnson’s experiences with cancer, along with her passion for improving community health and access to quality care, inspired her to attend the beam-signing event. “I wanted to be on the ground floor to meet the people who are so enthusiastic about the new building,” shares Johnson. “I wanted to show the researchers and clinicians what this new building means to people like me.”

Diagnosed with breast cancer in 2022, Johnson had a lumpectomy, which was performed by Amanda Kong, MD, MS ’10, MCW professor of surgery and section chief of breast surgery. “I told Dr. Kong near the end of my treatment that based on the impact of the quality care and compassion I received, I felt I needed to help others,” shares Johnson. “I’ve been fortunate to be able to invest in a new breast surgery fellowship program at MCW. It’s so important that we continue to attract, train and retain great cancer clinicians in our state. Accelerated by gifts like mine, the new cancer research building creates a community, bringing everyone together – patients, surgeons, researchers, physicians and students – to advance the best care in Wisconsin.”

With this commemorative beam in place, Mortenson, along with architectural partners at Cannon Design and the project team at Concord Group, are well on their way to realizing the physical manifestation of MCW’s collective aim to eradicate cancer.

“Everyone on our team has been on campus at some point, and most of us have a personal connection to cancer,” says Gruhn. “Mortenson has led the construction of the most exciting cancer projects across the MRMC, including the patient-focused Clinical Cancer Center at Froedtert Hospital, which was completed in 2008, and most recently, the vault for the hospital’s new proton therapy system. We are not only excited to be a part of this prominent new building, which will accelerate even greater research collaborations, but are grateful to give back to the MCW Cancer Center through our company’s philanthropic mission. It’s an important cause for our employees and our entire community to rally behind.”

As the construction continues, Gruhn hopes all visitors to the MRMC will be inspired by the remarkable progress and groundbreaking achievement that is the new cancer research building. Mirroring Gruhn’s enthusiasm, Dr. Leone shares, “There’s no doubt, together, we are changing the course of cancer for generations to come.”

– Lee Dickert and Rebecca Schultz