Why Philanthropy Matters

I WANTED TO CURE HER, I WANTED SOMEONE ELSE TO CURE HER, AND WHEN SHE UNFORTUNATELY SUCCUMBED TO THE DISEASE, AS A NAIVE YOUNG KID, I WAS LIKE, I WOULD GO TO THE U.S. ONE DAY AND I’D CURE CANCER.”

In 2021, board-certified neuro-oncologist and medical oncologist Manmeet Ahluwalia, M.D., MBA, joined Miami Cancer Institute as deputy director, chief scientific officer and chief of solid tumor medical oncology.

Originally from India, Dr. Ahluwalia attributes his desire to become a cancer physician to his late grandmother. “When I was a 12-year-old kid, my grandmother was diagnosed with cervical cancer, and unfortunately she lost her life to the cancer,” he recalls. “I wanted to cure her, I wanted someone else to cure her, and when she unfortunately succumbed to the disease, as a naive young kid, I was like, I would go to the U.S. one day and I’d cure cancer.”

Dr. Ahluwalia is an ambassador for philanthropy who knows just how critical donor support is for the success of innovative programs. “As chief scientific officer, I want to support all the physicians working at Miami Cancer Institute to be the best physician they can be for their patients,” he says. “So I am very excited about the robust clinical trial infrastructure we are setting up to empower our physicians to ensure that they have a highly innovative clinical trial for every patient that they will see in the clinic. Philanthropic gifts are transformative in pushing innovative efforts of large cancer programs anywhere in the United States and all across the world.”

Dr. Ahluwalia is excited to play an important role in elevating Miami Cancer Institute as a national leader in improving cancer care. He is often reminded of how he got to where he is today. “Every day I help a patient with cancer, to me it’s a gift because I’m giving back to my grandmother,” he says.