Marshall Insley Cancer Research Fund

A beloved husband, father, son, brother and friend, Marshall Insley lost his two-year battle with colon cancer in October 2021. Marshall’s quiet strength, loyalty and easy smile will be missed by all who knew him, but certainly never forgotten.

A lifelong Tar Heel, Marshall, a member of the UNC soccer team and a 2002 graduate, was blessed with a loving family and a wide range of friends spanning from before his days at UNC, through the years during his successful career in New York City and his family life in Bronxville, New York. Among the many gifts Marshall was blessed with, the singular quality about him that will be remembered most was his positivity.

After he was diagnosed, Marshall faced a tough road ahead. He was determined to be the exception, to beat the odds with the hope that the quickly evolving medical treatment therapies would catch up to and beat the disease. Despite his diagnosis, he was always smiling and conveyed a sense of calm that was an inspiration to anyone he met along the way. Unfortunately, despite all his effort, Marshall ran out of time and we lost our friend.

In cooperation with UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, Marshall’s family and friends have established the Marshall Insley Cancer Research Fund. It is our profound hope that these resources supporting critical cancer research conducted at UNC will allow us to continue to gain ground on the treatment of this terrible disease. Through this research and evolving treatment options, it is our hope that Marshall’s legacy of positivity and determination will find its way to helping those who face similar challenges and make a difference in his name.

About the Marshall Insley Cancer Research Fund

The Marshall Insley Cancer Research Fund is an endowment that supports colorectal cancer research at UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. Under the leadership of world-renowned pharmacologists, colorectal cancer research at UNC is focused on understanding the molecular basis of cancer to identify novel approaches for treatment. Our labs are working on ways to make drugs less cancer-resistant while identifying the mechanisms of resistance in order to make therapies more effective. Researchers are also targeting specific genetic mutations that have been known to indicate some of the most common and deadly forms of cancer, including colorectal, lung and pancreatic.

About UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center

UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center is a cancer research and treatment center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Serving patients at the N.C. Basnight Cancer Hospital, UNC Lineberger is the only public comprehensive cancer center in the state of North Carolina. As one of only 53 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers, UNC Lineberger was rated as exceptional – the highest category – by the National Cancer Institute. The center brings together some of the most exceptional physicians and scientists in the country to investigate and improve the prevention, early detection and treatment of cancer.

For more information on supporting UNC Lineberger and the Marshall Insley Cancer Research Fund, please contact Kara Raynor, Senior Director of Development and Communications, kara_raynor@med.unc.edu, 281.389.2344.