Philanthropy Advances UConn Health’s Cancer Vaccine Research

“I’ve honestly been blessed with a wonderful family and a thriving business. We have everything going for us. I need to share those blessings, and I can do so by helping save lives.”-Glen Greenberg

So many Americans have been affected by cancer. Glen Greenberg is no different. His mother, Beatrice, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1986. His father, Sidney, developed T-Cell Lymphoma in 2005.

Wanting to help save lives and not knowing where to begin, Glen sought answers, and he was introduced to Carole and Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center Director and UConn School of Medicine Professor Pramod Srivastava. Srivastava was doing extensive research developing a vaccine for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the deadliest forms of cancer.  Glen was fascinated with what he learned was happening at the Cancer Center and felt that this was where he could help make a difference.

Greenberg, who lives in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, established the UConn Health Cancer Immunotherapy Research Fund early in 2023. He aims to move Srivastava’s work closer to the clinical trial phase, a critical step toward making the vaccine a reality.

“I felt this was a way to get the ball rolling,” Greenberg explained. “Research needs investment, and we made the first investment. We have a great opportunity to come up with cures.”

Most vaccines are typically administered to healthy people to help their bodies develop immunity. The triple-negative breast cancer vaccine would work differently. It would be given to patients with the disease, which often returns after surgery or chemotherapy. The vaccine would be designed to prevent the cancer from recurring or, at the very least, delay the recurrence.  (Read more about Dr. Srivastava’s research on UConn Today.)

Philanthropic Impact

Srivastava believes Greenberg’s gift will enable him to treat patients using this new technique within two years. “Our work has been going on for many years, and it just keeps proceeding,” he says. “We are among approximately four to six groups in the world leading this effort. We are probably the smallest, so financial support makes a huge difference. We are recipients of funding from the NIH and the federal government, but more is needed. So, philanthropic funding is even more valuable.”

Greenberg views his gift as an extension of a long-term investment. Over 40 years ago, he founded his business, Turbine Controls MRO, a maintenance, repair, and overhaul company that services aerospace and industrial gas turbine engines in Bloomfield, Connecticut. He is presently the CEO of the company. His hard work and dedication allowed his business to prosper and grow and presently, there are facilities in Florida and in Connecticut. His knowledge and success have allowed him to dedicate himself to helping others through medicine.

“We’ve invested in a 3D printer at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center to help create organ scaffolding. Cells from the patients’ bodies adhere to the printed form and create a new organ. We’ve invested at UConn Health in Dr. Srivastava’s work and Dr. Ketan Bulsara’s brain tumor research,” says Greenberg. “If we can help find a cure for any type of cancer or illness, that would be very special to me, my whole company, and all the employees there.

 

Make a gift to the UConn Health Cancer Immunotherapy Research Fund.