NEW YORK, NY — The Cancer Research Institute (CRI), the world’s leading nonprofit organization dedicated exclusively to advancing cancer immunotherapy, today announced that Reed Jobs, founder of oncology-focused venture firm Yosemite, will receive the 2026 Oliver R. Grace Award for Distinguished Service in Advancing Cancer Research, recognizing his visionary leadership and commitment to accelerating innovation in cancer research.
Named in honor of CRI’s co-founder, the Oliver R. Grace Award recognizes individuals and organizations whose philanthropy, advocacy, and leadership have made lasting contributions to the fight against cancer.
Jobs is a managing partner at Yosemite, whose mission is to make cancer non-lethal within our lifetime. Reed and Yosemite take a novel approach to backing cancer therapies with a model that pairs no-strings-attached philanthropy with venture investment. The goal is to de-risk promising discoveries while they are still early-stage ideas in university labs and help founders survive the “valley of death” between scientific discovery and clinical proof.
Yosemite manages more than $1 billion in assets with a portfolio of novel approaches to some of oncology’s hardest problems, including: Azalea Therapeutics, which emerged from the lab of CRISPR pioneer Jennifer Doudna; Quarry Therapeutics, built around a new therapeutic strategy known as induced proximity; Tune Therapeutics, developing epigenetic-editing approaches for liver cancer; Teal Health, which developed the first FDA-approved at-home cervical cancer screening; and HistoSonics, whose noninvasive technology targets liver and pancreatic tumors.
“Reed Jobs’ commitment to advancing lifesaving science is critical now more than ever,” said Alicia Zhou, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of CRI. “He represents a new generation of philanthropic leaders who recognize that solving cancer requires ambitious thinking and sustained investment in scientific innovation. We are honored to recognize his leadership with the Oliver R. Grace Award.”
That approach reflects a long-standing principle at the heart of CRI’s mission: meaningful scientific progress depends not only on bold ideas, but on people willing to support them before their potential is fully realized.
“Transformative advances in cancer happen because people are willing to believe in new possibilities and give scientists the freedom to pursue them,” said James P. Allison, Ph.D., 2018 Nobel Laureate and Director of the CRI Scientific Advisory Council. “Reed Jobs brings that spirit to cancer philanthropy, investing boldly in ideas that can redefine what is possible for patients. His vision, commitment, and willingness to push beyond conventional boundaries embody exactly what the Oliver R. Grace Award was created to recognize.”
For Jobs, that commitment is also deeply personal. Inspired by his family’s experience with cancer, he has focused on supporting approaches that bridge disciplines, encourage bold ideas, and speed the translation of scientific discoveries into better treatments for patients.
Since 1953, CRI has helped lay the scientific foundation for modern cancer immunotherapy by supporting the researchers whose discoveries led to today’s most effective immunotherapies. The Oliver R. Grace Award celebrates leaders whose vision and dedication help ensure that scientific progress continues for generations to come.
Jobs will be honored at CRI’s Annual Awards Gala on October 20th at Guastavinos in New York City, where leaders from science, medicine, philanthropy, and industry will gather to celebrate advances in cancer immunotherapy research and the individuals helping shape its future.
About Cancer Research Institute
Founded in 1953, the Cancer Research Institute is the world’s leading nonprofit organization dedicated exclusively to fueling the discovery and development of immunotherapies for all cancers. For more information, visit cancerresearch.org.
About Yosemite
Yosemite partners with leading researchers and visionary entrepreneurs working to make cancer non-lethal within our lifetime. Through a donor-advised fund and investment platform, Yosemite supports innovation across the oncology ecosystem — from early academic research to later-stage companies — advancing new therapies and technologies that improve patient outcomes. Leveraging its deep scientific network, Yosemite builds and finances companies translating breakthrough discoveries into better therapies and patient experiences to improve the health and lives of cancer patients. The entirety of Yosemite’s portfolio is not represented above, and no assumption should be made that an investment in a Yosemite portfolio company will be profitable. Although no compensation was provided to the third party for its comments about Yosemite, positive statements could be incentivized due to an ongoing relationship with Yosemite. For more information, please visit: yosemite.co
