Vernon Underwood, chairman and chief executive officer of Young’s Market Company, headquartered in Orange County, recently donated $1 million to The Medical College of Wisconsin in Wauwatosa. The gift created an endowed chair to support research investigating the causes of colon cancer and its treatment. Colorectal surgeon, Dr. Kirk Ludwig, will be the first Vernon O. Underwood Professor in Colon Cancer Research.
"This is a remarkable gift that will help us accelerate an already growing area of expertise at the Medical College," said T. Michael Bolger, J.D., president and CEO of the Medical College. "By establishing this significant endowment, Mr.Underwood ensures that we will have enduring resources for advancing our understanding of colon cancer and finding new ways to defeat this disease."
Young’s Market Company is one of the largest wine and spirits distributors in the United States and one of the oldest continuously operating companies in the country.
Dr. Ludwig joined the Medical College faculty last year as associate professor and chief of colorectal surgery and associate professor of medicine in the division of gastroenterology and hepatology. He is based at Froedtert Hospital in Wauwatosa. He was previously at Duke University Medical Center, where he was chief of gastrointestinal surgery. He specializes in sphincter-sparing techniques for rectal cancer, laparoscopic colorectal surgery and treatment of benign and malignant diseases of the lower gastrointestinal tract, including fecal incontinence.
