Lopker Family Foundation
Accelerating Cures through Translational Medicine
Strategic Mission
The Lopker Family Foundation is dedicated to bridging the “Valley of Death” in cancer research. We provide the critical funding required to move promising laboratory discoveries through the rigorous transition to first-in-human clinical trials.
Our core philosophy is simple: Maximize the capital working in the lab to bring cancer cures to market as quickly as possible.
The Translational Gap
Most breakthrough therapies stall because academic grants often stop at discovery, while venture capital waits for human data. We fund the critical “Middle Mile”:
- Safety & Efficacy: Animal toxicity and efficacy studies.
- Regulatory Milestones: Pre-IND and IND (Investigational New Drug) applications.
- Clinical Readiness: Moving from a lab setting to first-in-human trials, novel combinations of investigational or approved drugs, or studies of breakthrough diagnostics to guide therapy.
Portfolio of Impact
We partner with the top public universities in cancer research that are NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers. We prioritize institutions that lead in innovation despite having smaller unrestricted endowments than their private counterparts.
Stewardship & Efficiency
With $100M in assets and $5M in annual donations, we maintain a lean, high-impact operational model.
- Grant Size: Typically $200,000 - $300,000 per project.
- Scientist-Led: All projects are vetted by a board of volunteer scientists ensuring technical merit and clinical viability.
- Administrative Cap: To maximize the capital working in the lab, we cap administrative/indirect costs allowed from our donations at 5%, up to a maximum of $20,000. This cap represents the total allowable amount for overhead; the department will not be expected to cover any additional difference to meet a university set rate.