Ever since its humble beginnings with two professors and two students in a lone building on an empty expanse of Boulder land in 1883, what has now become the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus has grown on a foundation of hope and dreams.
In his 2024 State of the Campus address “Driving Discovery, Inspiring Hope,” Chancellor Don Elliman told the story of how the 256-acre campus has transformed into a world-class hub of life-saving research and healthcare.
“On this campus, I believe, we are in the business of hope,” Elliman told an audience in a packed Elliman Conference Center at the Anschutz Health Sciences Building on Oct. 29. “We inspire hope by training outstanding future leaders, by exploring new frontiers and by setting the standard for quality of care.”
Elliman talked of the faculty’s continued record-breaking success in attracting the funding and gifts needed for its premier research and the high rankings it has earned for its science that "has not gone unnoticed.”
And the chancellor shared examples of the tales of hope that happen regularly on campus, including a student fulfilling her dreams, a husband and father extending his life indefinitely after being given only months to live, and singer Céline Dion finally finding help for a rare disease that had sidelined her career.
Below are by-the-number highlights and video clips from the presentation. Watch the full address video here.
A Colorado asset
With its premier hospital affiliates, the CU Anschutz Medical Campus serves as an economic engine for the state while providing world-class healthcare for its residents right in their own backyard. Both hospitals – UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital and Children’s Hospital Colorado – consistently rank No. 1 in the state.
Last year, the university generated:
- $3 billion in total revenue, up by 40% over the last five years.
With our hospital partners, the campus generated:
- $13 billion in economic impact.
- 2.6 million patient visits.
A research powerhouse
Fulfilling the campus mission of transforming healthcare requires securing funding, and CU Anschutz faculty continue breaking records in the highly competitive health sciences arena. Last year, campus attracted:
- $910 million in total research, with
- $757 million in sponsored research, and
- $153 million in gifts for research
Highlights include a:
- $2.3 million National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant for the Head & Neck Cancer Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) to continue advancing novel cellular and immune therapies for these cancers.
- $3 million Department of Defense (DOD) grant for the Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative in the Department of Emergency Medicine for a study examining firearm safety in populations with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
- $17.8 million NIH grant already this year for the Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity & Diabetes (LEAD) Center as part of a national program studying environmental exposures during pregnancy and influences on the health of children.
Philanthropy stars
All CU Anschutz philanthropists are stars, as their generosity literally saves lives, funding next-generation treatments and the search for cures. This past year, a renowned star, singer Céline Dion, joined the list. Support included:
- $243 million overall for 2024, bringing the total in private money raised since 2015 to over $2 billion.
- $2 million from the Céline Dion Foundation to advance progress in autoimmune neurologic diseases, such as Stiff Person Syndrome, a rare disease Dion has been treated for by Amanda Piquet, MD, associate professor of neurology.
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Video: Céline Dion thanks her doctor, Amanda Piquet, MD, of the CU Anschutz Medical Campus, at the world premiere of the singer's documentary "I Am: Céline Dion." |
CU Innovations
Taking CU’s top science from the lab to the marketplace and the broadest number of patients who can benefit from the life-changing discoveries requires experts in building industry partnerships. CU Innovations excels in commercialization ventures. Achievements since its founding in 2016 include:
- 44 new companies launched.
- 1,833 patents filed.
- 1,220 inventions developed.
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Watch the video of Doug Scanlon's story, which began with a Stage 4 colon cancer diagnosis and an estimate of less than two years to live. It ended with a visit to the CU Anschutz Medical Campus, where he found hope. |
Elliman ended by acknowledging special guest Doug Scanlon, who sought treatment on campus looking for options beyond the standard care for colon cancer that had spread to his liver. Once told he had two years at most left to live, Scanlon's successful treatment at CU Anschutz has given him years back with his wife, Kendra, and three children.
Elliman reminded the CU Anschutz community that such stories happen regularly on campus and called on each member to continue doing what they do. “Together, I believe, we can make CU Anschutz a beacon of hope and a place where dreams come to life.”
