The brothers
This is the part only the family can tell — meet Brian, Eric, and Matthew.
Our mission
To promote medical advancement and patient wellbeing by funding research, innovation, and health initiatives across medicine, public health, and community well-being.
Why we exist
A legacy from the Van Tine brothers, to keep helping others.
How we work
Four equal program areas under one mission. We lead with the people first, and let the giving follow.
Oncology · 1972–2025
Brian Van Tine
Professor of medicine and of pediatrics at WashU Medicine, and a nationally recognized leader in sarcoma research. As director of the Sarcoma Program at Siteman Cancer Center he built one of the country’s largest sarcoma research and clinical programs — caring for adults and adolescents at Siteman and children at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. A pioneer in tumor-metabolism research, he was appointed director of Developmental Therapeutics (Phase I) in 2021, expanding first-in-human trials for rare and difficult-to-treat cancers.
What he loved
Music ran through his whole life — french horn through high school, oboe in college, a minor in music alongside dual degrees in chemistry and biochemistry, and years playing oboe with a St. Louis symphony. Colleagues and patients remember a brilliant scientist, a compassionate clinician with genuine warmth and humor, and an extraordinary mentor.
His cause
Oncology — the sarcoma pillar continues his life’s work, and his love of music is part of the root of the creative-arts pillar.
Mental Health · 1982–2024
Eric Van Tine
A happy, endlessly athletic kid — basketball, soccer, tennis, baseball, and above all BMX, where he raced and rode street freestyle, a sport built on fearlessness, creativity, and getting back up. A musician too — viola, drums, and guitar. He earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from Arizona State University, with a summer abroad in England and Ireland.
Family
His family knows, firsthand, how much a person can carry — and the weight it places on those who love him.
His cause
Mental health — so that others, and the families walking alongside them, have support, resources, and dignity.
Cardiology · Founder & President
Matthew Van Tine
A cardiovascular physician assistant and advanced-practice leader who has practiced in cardiology and cardiac surgery at institutions including Inova Fairfax, Yale New Haven, and The Johns Hopkins Hospital, and founder of Van Tine Clinical Services. Like Eric, an Arizona State University alumnus; like both brothers, a musician — trombone through the end of high school. He founded the Van Tine Foundation after losing both of his brothers within a year of each other.
His cause
Cardiology — ECMO family travel assistance, so no family has to choose between being at the bedside and affording to get there.
Leadership & board
The people behind the foundation.
Founder & President
Treasurer
Secretary
Director of Strategic Growth
For anything board-related, reach us at info@vantinefoundation.org.
Transparency
Built to be trusted.
The Van Tine Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN 42-2260998), incorporated in Missouri on April 7, 2026. We filed the full IRS Form 1023 — not the short form — because accountability matters to us and to the funders who stand with us.
Registered
501(c)(3) · EIN 42-2260998
Incorporated
Missouri · April 7, 2026
Filed
Full IRS Form 1023
As a first-year foundation, we’re building our record now. Financial statements and impact reporting will live here as they become available.
