Tampa General Hospital Foundation Receives $10 Million to Innovate Cancer Research and Care

Ian and Jean MacKechnie made the transformative gift that will fund an immunotherapy lab and the Taneja Surgical, Neuroscience & Transplant Tower.

Tampa, FL (March 5, 2026) – The Tampa General Hospital (TGH) Foundation announced a transformational $10 million gift to create the Ian & Jean MacKechnie Immunotherapy Lab, part of the TGH Cancer Institute. Part of their gift will also fund the Taneja Surgical, Neuroscience & Transplant Tower, currently under construction adjacent to Tampa General’s academic medical center on Davis Islands.

The 8,000-square-foot lab will be housed in the USF Health building in downtown Tampa, in the heart of the innovative Tampa Medical & Research District. The academic research conducted there will be a highlight of the strong and dynamic partnership between Tampa General and the University of South Florida.

The MacKechnies were inspired to give after Ian MacKechnie was treated by Dr. Jorge Marcet, the medical director of Colorectal Surgery Services at Tampa General.

“Tampa General continues to lead the way in providing world-class academic medical care right here in Florida,” said John Couris, president and CEO of Florida Health Sciences Center | Tampa General. “The fact that philanthropists such as Ian and Jean MacKechnie are motivated to drive innovation and to transform the future of cancer care is a testament to the power of the care they received right here at Tampa General.”

Ian MacKechnie, founder of Amscot Financial, said the care he received from Dr. Marcet and everyone at Tampa General was phenomenal. 

“Everyone at Tampa General showed such humanity and kindness,” MacKechnie said. “The care team was so exacting, staying in touch and making everything easy and understandable. It’s important to us to give back to TGH and help ensure that care is available to the communities where we live and do business.”

In the lab, a team will work to arm the immune system to fight cancer and other diseases across many medical disciplines.

“This transformative gift from Ian and Jean MacKechnie strengthens our multidisciplinary Susan & John Sykes Center of Excellence in Colorectal Cancer as a hub for immunotherapy innovation, supporting the development of precision-targeted therapies and attracting globally recognized investigators committed to advancing more precise, effective treatments for cancer and other diseases,” Dr. Marcet said. “It is an investment not only in research, but in discovery that will redefine the future of cancer care.”

The gift will bolster the TGH Cancer Institute’s robust immunotherapy program, which recently earned prestigious accreditation from the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT) for clinical excellence, innovation and patient safety in stem cell transplant and cellular therapy. FACT accreditation affirms that the program meets internationally recognized standards and follows best practices in patient care, cell collection, processing and administration. The accreditation is recognized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies, Joint Commission and international societies.

“We have made amazing strides in the ability to target cancer with immunotherapy,” said Dr. Ivan Borrello, hematologist oncologist, physician-scientist and medical director of the Myeloma, Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) and Cell Therapies program. “We are grateful and humbled by this wonderful gift, which will pave the pathway to new innovation in cellular therapies and immunological translational research.”

“In the remarkable generosity of Ian and Jean MacKechnie, we witness the profound and transformative impact that academic medicine, when united with the spirit of philanthropy, can have on our community,” said Frann Leppla, executive vice president and president of the TGH Foundation. “Touched deeply by the world-class care they received at Tampa General, they chose to ensure that excellence in care will continue to uplift and heal countless lives.”