Strategic integration advances $15 million for aging and cancer research

NEW YORK, April 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research has announced the completion of a merger with the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation (SWCRF), formalizing a long-standing partnership rooted in a shared commitment to advancing innovative science and bringing new treatments to cancer patients.

This merger follows the establishment in 2025 of the Samuel Waxman Institute for Aging & Cancer, a first-of-its-kind initiative focused on the leading risk factor for cancer—aging. Operating as a subsidiary of The Mark Foundation, the Institute will award $15 million over its first three years to study how aging influences cancer development, progression, and response to treatment. Two and a half million dollars have already been awarded this year to five research teams examining key biological mechanisms linking aging and cancer, including immune system decline, inflammation, metabolism, and stem cell function.

Since 1976, SWCRF has distributed over $120 million to more than 200 scientists globally. In 2022, The Mark Foundation and SWCRF began a partnership to advance aging and cancer research, including co-hosting annual workshops and awarding $4 million in collaboration grants.

“Building on our strong history of partnership with the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation, the new Waxman Institute expands our ability to support high-impact science around the world, particularly in areas like aging biology that have been historically underexplored and underfunded in cancer research,” said Ryan Schoenfeld, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of The Mark Foundation. “Closing this gap is essential to improving patient outcomes.”

Addressing a Growing Global Challenge

Cancer is predominantly a disease of aging. Nearly 60 percent of cancers and more than 70 percent of cancer-related deaths occur in people over the age of 65. As global life expectancy rises, cancer incidence is projected to increase sharply, with cases expected to nearly double by 2050, driven in large part by aging populations.

“The Waxman Institute’s unique approach brings together experts in aging biology with leaders in oncology to better understand how and why cancer risk increases with age,” said Samuel Waxman, MD, founder of SWCRF and Director of the Waxman Institute. “A key initiative will be developing tools and algorithms to measure biological aging and cancer risk, which could enable prevention, earlier detection, and more effective, age-appropriate treatments. This is vital to improving healthier longevity and reducing cancer incidence as we age.”

Up next: The Waxman Institute will issue a new Request for Proposals (RFP) at the end of April 2026 to support additional collaborative-based research focused on aging and cancer.

About The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research
The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research, a charitable organization based in New York City, actively partners with scientists worldwide to accelerate research that will transform cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Since 2017, The Mark Foundation has awarded over $300 million in grants to investigators at more than 120 academic institutions across 18 countries, with research programs focusing on early career support, team science collaboration, new technology innovation, and therapeutics discovery. Additionally, The Mark Foundation maintains a growing portfolio of investments in early-stage cancer diagnostics and therapeutics companies, including several that have transitioned from grantee projects into commercial development. To learn more, please visit www.themarkfoundation.org.

About the Samuel Waxman Institute for Aging & Cancer
The Samuel Waxman Institute for Aging & Cancer, established in 2025, is a first-of-its-kind research initiative dedicated to understanding the fundamental relationship between aging and cancer—the leading risk factor for the disease. An affiliate of The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research, the Waxman Institute supports innovative, collaborative science aimed at uncovering how aging influences cancer development, progression, and response to treatment. The mission is healthier aging with less cancer for all. To learn more, please visit www.waxmaninstitute.org

Media Contacts:
Rachel Hastings
[email protected]

Wylie Tene
[email protected]

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-mark-foundation-for-cancer-research-and-samuel-waxman-cancer-research-foundation-merger-finalized-302731575.html