How It Started

Jill lost her husband Wayne to pancreatic cancer just 28 days after his diagnosis, and began researching the disease. She decided to do something to change that and started a fund in memory of her husband Wayne Fusaro to raise money for pancreatic cancer research. She sent donations to Johns Hopkins University and Jill’s gastroenterologist suggested keeping research efforts in Pittsburgh, where she lives. She met David Whitcomb, MD, PhD, who led active research teams focused on pancreatic diseases at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

Dr. Whitcomb’s research and discoveries have changed the understanding of inflammatory disease of the pancreas. Jill’s fundraising efforts helped contribute to these findings. Dr. Whitcomb and Jill have become good friends and will continue to work together. Jill’s family wants to provide a stipend to two medical students or junior researchers at the University of Pittsburgh who are interested in pancreatic cancer research.

To view the full article: https://dom.pitt.edu/gi/giving/