UMass Chan Medical School Foundation

The UMass Chan Medical School Foundation, Inc. is committed to building lasting relationships, and engaging new relationships, between the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School and those who support or wish to support us with their gifts, wisdom, and time. UMass Chan works to advance the health and well-being of the people in the Commonwealth and the world through pioneering advances in education, research, and health care delivery. 

Specifically, the UMass ALS Cellucci Fund is a movement to drive awareness and funding for the ALS breakthroughs happening at UMass Chan and in the laboratory of Robert H. Brown, Jr. DPhil, MD, one of the world's leading and most promising ALS researchers. 

In 2011, the Medical School and Dr. Brown were joined in this effort by former Governor of Massachusetts and Ambassador to Canada, A. Paul Cellucci. Governor Cellucci announced that January that he had been diagnosed with ALS and was being treated at the Medical School by Dr. Brown. News of Cellucci’s diagnosis sparked an outpouring of support from friends and colleagues across the Commonwealth and the country, including fellow former governors and other elected officials. Governor Cellucci chose to use his story as a catalyst to support ALS research at Massachusetts’ public medical school through the establishment of the UMass ALS Cellucci Fund. 

The UMass ALS Cellucci Fund has a goal of raising $10 million to find new treatments for this fatal disease. More than 50 individuals have been part of the UMass ALS Cellucci Fund Boston Marathon team since its inception in 2012. The late Governor’s family continues to support the fundraising efforts of the Boston Marathon team.  These runners have raised more than $720,000.