Sendurai Mani: John Tarantino and Barbara Papitto – The Two Great Souls I Met in Providence

Sendurai Mani shared a post on LinkedIn:

“When I moved to Providence, I was fortunate to meet two great individuals. They have been serving the community without any expectations. They are John Tarantino and Barbara Papitto.

John, who lost his wife to pancreatic cancer, has donated his home worth over a million dollars to Lifespan and much more money for pancreatic cancer research. He continues to donate his time and most of his wealth. Most importantly, he works tirelessly to make a positive impact on cancer patients around the globe.

Barbara Papitto works tirelessly with one goal in mind: to serve and help people in need. When she met someone who lost their home, she built a home for them. When she met someone who couldn’t afford college, she paid their college fees. She started the Read To Succeed Foundation, which helps many kids in Rhode Island, and the Papitto Opportunity Connection Foundation, for which John is the managing trustee, which assists people from various walks of life.

My special thanks to Barbara, John, and the entire Papitto Opportunity Connection Board Members for giving my lab a large grant to study pancreatic cancer. With their support, we are investigating the role of disparity in this disease and the contribution of cellular plasticity.

I wish I could do a small part of what these passionate people have done in this lifetime. Thank you, John and Barbara, for your dedication, passion, and, most importantly, your selfless act of serving the community in every possible way.”

Source: Sendurai Mani/LinkedIn

Dr. Sendurai A. Mani is a distinguished Indian-American oncologist and molecular biologist. Currently holding the Dean’s Chair for Translational Oncology at Brown University Warren Alpert Medical School, Dr. Mani also serves as the Associate Director for Translational Oncology at the Legorreta Cancer Center at Alpert Medical School. Prior to his current roles, he held positions as Co-Director of the Metastasis Research Center and the Center for Stem Cell and Developmental Biology, as well as Professor of Translational Molecular Pathology at UT MD Anderson Cancer Center.