Our History
1980: The American-Italian Foundation for Cancer Research is born.
On May 21, 1980, a meeting of the first board of directors was held. The growth and success of the Foundation was the result of international collaboration among scientific, social and corporate leaders in the US and Italy. Chief among them were founders Umberto Veronesi, MD and Alessandro di Montezemolo. Other early leaders included: Umberto Agnelli; US Representative Frank Annunzio; Gianni Bonadonna, MD; Deeda McCormick Blair; Nobel Prize winner Renato Dulbecco, MD; Mary Lasker; Alexander Papamarkou; US Senator Claiborne Pell; and Guido Venosta, MD.
1982: The Scientific Advisory Board, comprised of leading international cancer researchers and clinicians in the United States and Italy, is established.
1983: The International Fellowship Program is launched.
1984: The Foundation incorporated an annual awards program that recognizes outstanding scientific achievement in the fields of cancer biology, diagnosis, prevention and/or treatment. Many of these outstanding scientists continue to be involved with the Foundation as part of its Scientific Advisory Board. In 2003, the award became the Prize for Scientific Excellence in Medicine, which now provides a monetary award of $100,000, or $50,000 each, to two world-class scientists and is sponsored by the Alexander Bodini Foundation.
1987: The Mobile, No-Cost Breast Cancer Screening Program is launched.
In response to increasing community need and the Foundation’s commitment to improving access to health services for patients, AICF began its Free Mobile Mammography Program. Early supporters were pleased with the pilot program that supported screenings for 425 women over 22 days in July 1987. Today, the program has grown from contracting for the periodic use of a mobile unit to owning its own mobile Care Clinic and screening over 3,000 women per year.
1994: AICF helped launch the European Institute of Oncology (IEO).
IEO is a comprehensive cancer center in Milan staffed by outstanding international oncologists. AICF has continued to support many of its innovative cancer initiatives.
1995: The Foundation is re-named American-Italian Cancer Foundation.
The name changed to recognize the broadening scope of the Foundation’s programs which included: promoting international cooperation and scientific exchange in cancer research and education; funding international fellowships for postdoctoral cancer scientists at outstanding cancer centers; providing seed money for cutting-edge cancer research projects that promised to advance patient care; and increasing public awareness of and access to screening for under-served women in the New York area.
1998: The AICF Free Mobile Mammography Program Model was used to pilot a Free Prostate Cancer Screening Program, beginning in 1998 and ending in 2004 to reach medically under-served men. The pilot screened and educated 3,700 men over a five-year period. Based on the Foundation’s 2003 strategic plan, it was decided to limit the scope of the program to provide replication information to other health organizations. The Foundation is proud to report that the program design has been adopted by another New York City nonprofit.
2011: AICF large mobile clinic received a major renovation to accommodate new state-of-the-art, digital mammography equipment manufactured by General Electric. The digital upgrade was made possible, in part, with grant funding provided by the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York.
2018: AICF purchased a new Mammogram Bus. The purchase was partially funded by the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York.
2023: AICF purchased a new state-of-the art 3D mammography Equipment manufactured by Siemens Healthineers, available on AICF' Mammogram Bus starting from January 2024.
On May 21, 1980, a meeting of the first board of directors was held. The growth and success of the Foundation was the result of international collaboration among scientific, social and corporate leaders in the US and Italy. Chief among them were founders Umberto Veronesi, MD and Alessandro di Montezemolo. Other early leaders included: Umberto Agnelli; US Representative Frank Annunzio; Gianni Bonadonna, MD; Deeda McCormick Blair; Nobel Prize winner Renato Dulbecco, MD; Mary Lasker; Alexander Papamarkou; US Senator Claiborne Pell; and Guido Venosta, MD.
1982: The Scientific Advisory Board, comprised of leading international cancer researchers and clinicians in the United States and Italy, is established.
1983: The International Fellowship Program is launched.
1984: The Foundation incorporated an annual awards program that recognizes outstanding scientific achievement in the fields of cancer biology, diagnosis, prevention and/or treatment. Many of these outstanding scientists continue to be involved with the Foundation as part of its Scientific Advisory Board. In 2003, the award became the Prize for Scientific Excellence in Medicine, which now provides a monetary award of $100,000, or $50,000 each, to two world-class scientists and is sponsored by the Alexander Bodini Foundation.
1987: The Mobile, No-Cost Breast Cancer Screening Program is launched.
In response to increasing community need and the Foundation’s commitment to improving access to health services for patients, AICF began its Free Mobile Mammography Program. Early supporters were pleased with the pilot program that supported screenings for 425 women over 22 days in July 1987. Today, the program has grown from contracting for the periodic use of a mobile unit to owning its own mobile Care Clinic and screening over 3,000 women per year.
1994: AICF helped launch the European Institute of Oncology (IEO).
IEO is a comprehensive cancer center in Milan staffed by outstanding international oncologists. AICF has continued to support many of its innovative cancer initiatives.
1995: The Foundation is re-named American-Italian Cancer Foundation.
The name changed to recognize the broadening scope of the Foundation’s programs which included: promoting international cooperation and scientific exchange in cancer research and education; funding international fellowships for postdoctoral cancer scientists at outstanding cancer centers; providing seed money for cutting-edge cancer research projects that promised to advance patient care; and increasing public awareness of and access to screening for under-served women in the New York area.
1998: The AICF Free Mobile Mammography Program Model was used to pilot a Free Prostate Cancer Screening Program, beginning in 1998 and ending in 2004 to reach medically under-served men. The pilot screened and educated 3,700 men over a five-year period. Based on the Foundation’s 2003 strategic plan, it was decided to limit the scope of the program to provide replication information to other health organizations. The Foundation is proud to report that the program design has been adopted by another New York City nonprofit.
2011: AICF large mobile clinic received a major renovation to accommodate new state-of-the-art, digital mammography equipment manufactured by General Electric. The digital upgrade was made possible, in part, with grant funding provided by the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York.
2018: AICF purchased a new Mammogram Bus. The purchase was partially funded by the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York.
2023: AICF purchased a new state-of-the art 3D mammography Equipment manufactured by Siemens Healthineers, available on AICF' Mammogram Bus starting from January 2024.
