Russian Ambassador To US Visits Huntsman Cancer Institute In Salt Lake City

Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov on Tuesday visited the Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City, Utah - founded in part by businessman and philanthropist Jon Huntsman Sr., father of current US Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman - where he discussed the possibilities for cooperation in the area of cancer treatment.

SALT LAKE CITY (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd October, 2018) Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov on Tuesday visited the Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City, Utah - founded in part by businessman and philanthropist Jon Huntsman Sr., father of current US Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman - where he discussed the possibilities for cooperation in the area of cancer treatment.

Department of Oncological Sciences Chair Bradley Cairns and of Huntsman Cancer Hospital Executive Director Ben Tanner said they are interested in establishing cooperation with institutions and colleagues from Russia.

Antonov expressed readiness to provide any information necessary that may lead to establishing cooperation.

"I hope you will have an opportunity to visit Russian cancer centers in Russia," Antonov added.

During his visit, the Russian ambassador also spoke about the Space Suit Art Project, supported by Russia's state space corporation Roscosmos, the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and other international space agencies.

The Space Suit Art Project was launched by US Astronaut Nicole Stott and University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Arts in Medicine Program Director Ian Cion to demonstrate the benefits of arts and science to adults and children fighting cancer.

The patients are tasked with hand-painting fabric patterns, which then get stitched together into wearable replica spacesuits.

The Victory spacesuit, hand-painted by cancer patients in Russia and the United States, was showcased at Ambassador Huntsman's residence in Moscow during US Independence Day celebrations. The presentation of the spacesuit was arranged with the support of NASA's office in Russia.

In Russia, the Space Suit Art Project is developed by Unity, and organization that supports cancer patients, which is an official partner of the Space for Art Foundation. Work is done in collaboration with Roscosmos, Zvezda, MRI-Expert chain of diagnostic centers and bank for SMEs Modulbank.

Antonov and Institute representatives also exchanged gifts, and following the Institute's presentation, the Russian ambassador was given a tour of the hospital.

At the end of the visit, Antonov presented the Institute with St. Petersburg's Imperial Porcelain Set and kerchiefs with the print from the spacesuit Victory. He received a book written by Jon Huntsman Sr. "Barefoot to Billionaire."

Antonov is currently in Utah on a two-day Visit where he met with the state governor Gary Herbert and is expected to meet later with representatives of Utah's businesses community as well as visit a Russian Orthodox Church.