by Lisa Lyons

A generous gift from the family of late City of Hope patient and prominent Las Vegas builder Martin Collins will establish the Pauline and Martin Collins Family Chair in Urology.  Timothy Wilson, M.D., chief, Division of Urology & Urologic Oncology, and director, Prostate Cancer Program, will be the first to hold the newly established endowed distinguished chair.

"The outstanding generosity and commitment of the Collins family will enable City of Hope to continue its nationally recognized leadership both in treating urologic cancers and in translational research directed at discovering improved techniques for diagnosing prostate cancer," said Michael A. Friedman, M.D., president and chief executive officer. "We are pleased to be able to honor Dr. Wilson by naming him the first holder of this endowed chair."

Wilson is highly experienced with minimally invasive, laparoscopic and robotic-assisted urologic oncology and is considered one of the top surgeons worldwide performing robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomies. Wilson’s research interests focus on the early diagnosis and prevention of prostate cancer, identification of high-risk prostate cancer patients, and quality-of-life issues involving prostate and bladder cancer treatment. He recently participated in a translational research study supported by a National Institutes of Health R01 research grant directed at discovering improved techniques for diagnosing prostate cancer.

The relationship between the Collins family and City of Hope began more than 30 years ago when Martin Collins was first diagnosed with cancer.  A level of trust was established between City of Hope physicians and Collins, who was a generous supporter over the years.  When he died in October 2004 of an unrelated disease, the first place his family thought to memorialize him was City of Hope.

Wilson and Major Gifts Officer Rick Leonard worked together on appropriate recognition for Collins.  When the establishment of an endowed chair was presented as an option, Collins' wife, Pauline, and daughter, Lauri, agreed that it would be a fitting expression of their late loved one’s commitment to philanthropy.

"Our family greatly values the opportunity to partner with City of Hope to support research into diseases that affect so many people worldwide," said Pauline. "Thanks to the care and outstanding treatment my husband received there, we enjoyed many more quality years together, so I can't think of a better way to honor him."