Pearl Schechter and her late husband, Sol, helped the Seed Grant program grow into one of the Cancer Center’s most successful initiatives.
Pearl Schechter of Kinston, NC and her late husband, Sol, have long been committed to cancer research. Dr. Joseph Pagano, UNC Lineberger Director Emeritus, approached the couple in 1986 about a new project that he was interested in developing. Joe wanted to start a Seed Grant program to give UNC Lineberger researchers the opportunity to pursue new ideas and novel approaches to cancer treatment, early detection and prevention. His hope was that their early research could then be leveraged into larger research grants. While Pearl admits they knew very little about the science behind the request, they wanted to do all that they could to help fight this horrible disease. Thanks to the Schechter’s early support, this Seed Grant program is one of the Cancer Center’s most successful initiatives.