Ludwig Cancer Research

Ludwig Cancer Research is an international network of research institutes and laboratories that conduct basic, translational, and clinical studies on cancer. It encompasses the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research (LICR), an international non-profit organization founded in 1971 by American businessman and philanthropist Daniel K. Ludwig, and six endowed and independent Ludwig Centers that were established in 2006 at prominent U.S. institutions of biomedical research.

Ludwig Cancer Research has funded basic and translational cancer research through LICR—which financially supports and oversees Branches and laboratories at leading academic institutions in Europe and the U.S.—and through the six U.S.-based Ludwig Centers.

Ludwig Cancer Research supports fundamental and translational cancer research, focusing on cancer immunology, genomics, cancer metabolism, metastasis, epigenetics and the tumor microenvironment, with an emphasis on applying this research to the development of novel diagnostics and therapies. It encompasses three research Branches overseen by LICR, which has its own endowment, and six separately endowed and independent Ludwig Centers at U.S. institutions. Its global structure seeks to foster collaboration across this network to advance the understanding of cancer biology and the application of that knowledge to its prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.

Daniel K. Ludwig, a shipping and real estate magnate, founded LICR in 1971 with an initial endowment of foreign assets from his business holdings.

Between 1971 and 1974, Ludwig transferred his international assets to the Institute, a gift then valued at more than US$560 million (equivalent to about US$3.6 billion in 2025). This created what was for decades the world’s largest philanthropic entity dedicated to cancer research. LICR operated a global conglomerate, including a major oil shipping business, whose profits funded its worldwide Branches until 1992, when it sold its assets and invested the proceeds in financial markets.

Following Ludwig’s death in 1992, his remaining assets established the Virginia and D.K. Ludwig Fund for Cancer Research. The Fund initially supported endowed professorships and chairs of clinical investigation with assets of US$69 million. In 2006, the Fund donated US$330 million to establish six Ludwig Centers at leading U.S. academic institutions. In 2014, the Fund distributed an additional US$540 million to the Centers and was subsequently dissolved.

Ludwig Cancer Research and its scientists have contributed to cancer biology and treatment. Highlights include:

Since its founding, the Ludwig Institute has supported laboratory groups located at major universities and hospitals worldwide. These Branches serve as hubs of research and collaboration. As of 2025, the following Branches are active: