History

A Brief History of ICRF:

ICRF was founded in 1975 by a group of American and Canadian medical researchers, oncologists, and lay people who were committed to the growth and development of Israel and to combating the worldwide scourge of cancer. These visionaries were determined to harness Israel's educational and scientific resources in the fight against cancer, while stemming the "brain drain" of Israel's best and brightest scientists. Their solution: providing funds for postdoctoral fellowships for young Israeli M.D's and Ph.D.'s.

Their solution worked. In addition to ICRF's many achievements and medical breakthroughs by ICRF-supported scientists, the organization now has operating chapters in six cities in three countries - the United States, Canada and Israel -- with its international headquarters in New York City, plus active Boards of Directors for each chapter, an International Board of Trustees, and International Scientific Council, a Scientific Review Panel and a Scientific Advisory Board.

Even more, having two ICRF-supported scientists (Professors Avram Hershko and Aaron Ciechanover of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology) receive the 2004 Nobel Prize in Chemistry is the kind of news that the founders of ICRF dreamed about in 1975 -- and that we have been hoping to hear ever since. That's an extraordinary achievement for our scientists, for ICRF and for the State of Israel by any measure.

Though that achievement garnered headlines around the world, ICRF-supported cancer researchers are responsible for many other major achievements.