A $10 million gift from Tampa businessman Ian MacKechnie and his wife, Jean MacKechnie, will fund a new cancer immunotherapy research lab and support construction of a major clinical tower at Tampa General Hospital.
The donation, announced by the Tampa General Hospital Foundation, will establish the Ian & Jean MacKechnie Immunotherapy Lab within the TGH Cancer Institute.
Part of the funding will also support the Taneja Surgical, Neuroscience & Transplant Tower, now under construction beside Tampa General’s academic medical center on Davis Islands.
The planned 8,000-square-foot lab will be housed in the USF Health building in downtown Tampa, placing the program inside the Tampa Medical & Research District and expanding research collaboration between Tampa General and the University of South Florida.
Researchers in the lab will focus on immunotherapy, a rapidly advancing field that trains the body’s immune system to detect and attack cancer cells. Scientists will study therapies that could be used across several medical disciplines while advancing precision cancer treatment.
Philanthropy drives expansion of cancer research
John Couris, president and CEO of Tampa General Hospital, said the gift strengthens the hospital’s role as an academic health system focused on research and clinical innovation.
“Tampa General continues to lead the way in providing world-class academic medical care right here in Florida,” Couris said. “The fact that philanthropists such as Ian and Jean MacKechnie are motivated to drive innovation and transform the future of cancer care speaks to the impact of the care they received here.”
The MacKechnies said their decision to support the hospital grew from a personal experience with the Tampa General care team. Ian MacKechnie, founder of Amscot Financial, received treatment from Dr. Jorge Marcet, medical director of colorectal surgery services.
“Everyone at Tampa General showed such humanity and kindness,” MacKechnie said. “The care team stayed in touch and made everything easy to understand. It’s important to us to give back and help ensure that care is available to the communities where we live and do business.”
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Marcet said the gift will strengthen the hospital’s Susan & John Sykes Center of Excellence in Colorectal Cancer and expand research in targeted immunotherapy treatments.
“This gift strengthens our center as a hub for immunotherapy research and will help attract investigators focused on developing more precise and effective treatments for cancer,” Marcet said.
The investment also builds on the TGH Cancer Institute’s growing immunotherapy program, which recently received accreditation from the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy. The designation recognizes programs that meet international standards in stem cell transplant and cellular therapy.
Dr. Ivan Borrello, medical director of the hospital’s myeloma, bone marrow transplant and cell therapies program, said the lab will accelerate work on next-generation treatments.
“We have made amazing strides in the ability to target cancer with immunotherapy,” Borrello said. “This gift helps open the door to new innovation in cellular therapies and translational research.”
Hospital leaders said philanthropy continues to play an important role in expanding research capabilities and advancing academic medicine in the region.
“In the generosity of Ian and Jean MacKechnie, we see how philanthropy can accelerate discovery and improve patient care,” said Frann Leppla, executive vice president and president of the TGH Foundation.
Tampa General Hospital operates the region’s only academic health system and serves as the primary teaching hospital for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. The hospital also operates the region’s only Level I trauma center, serving 23 counties across Florida.
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