UCLA received a $120 million donation to establish its new immunology research center, which aims to develop life-saving vaccines and cures for devastating diseases such as cancer.
Funding was provided by spine surgeon and inventor Gary Michelson and his wife Alya. The couple hope the donation will continue to be of use as the center advances medical breakthroughs in the field of immunology.
“Immunology is the mediator of nearly all human disease, whether it’s cancer, heart disease or Alzheimer’s,” Michelson said. “The vision of this institute is to become a ‘field of dreams’ – the world’s leading center for immune system research to develop advanced immunotherapies that can prevent, treat and cure all the diseases that plague humans today, and to eradicate these diseases in our lifetimes.”
Michelson is co-founder and chairman of the California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, which will be housed in UCLA’s new research park.
In January, Gov. Gavin Newsom gave the university $200 million to buy the former Westside Pavilion Mall and transform it into a state-of-the-art center. On Tuesday, he thanked the Michelsons for their donation, which will help put the research into action.
“This incredible act of generosity by Alya and Gary Michelson, coupled with Gary’s prolific work over the years as a leading innovator in the medical field, perfectly embodies the California spirit and will help ensure our state’s global economic, scientific and technological dominance for decades to come,” Newsom said.
The immunology center will occupy 360,000 square feet of the 700,000 square foot research park, which will also house UCLA’s new Center for Quantum Computing Research. The research center is scheduled to open in May 2027. The talent recruitment and staffing process is expected to take an additional two years.
Of the Michelsons’ $120 million donation, $50 million will go to rapid vaccine development, $50 million to research into the health impact of microbiomes such as bacteria, fungi and viruses, and $20 million will go to research grants for emerging scientists.
The Institute of Immunology aims to use the latest immunological breakthroughs made during the pandemic to advance disease treatment, strengthen the immune system and increase life expectancy. By gaining a deeper understanding of the immune system, researchers hope to develop new treatments for cancer, autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases, allergies, heart disease and organ transplants.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass also praised the Michelsons’ donation: “Joint investments like this create the opportunity for groundbreaking research that has the potential to fundamentally change the health situation around the world and create good jobs in Los Angeles.”
Gary Michelson made his fortune by developing over 1,000 patents for medical inventions, many of which are related to spine surgery.
In 2016, the Michelsons signed The Giving Pledge, a campaign launched by Bill Gates and Warren Buffett that encourages the wealthiest people to give the majority of their wealth to charity. Gary Michelson has also donated $50 million to USC to open a life sciences research center.
Tuesday’s gift is the Michelsons’ largest donation in their more than 30 years of philanthropy and one of the largest single amounts UCLA has ever received.
“I am grateful to Alya and Gary and their co-founder,” said Dr. John Mazziotta, UCLA’s vice chancellor for health sciences and CEO of UCLA Health. “Their vision and support of the institute are a vote of confidence in our ability to work together to cure some of the most devastating diseases.”
