Dear friends and partners of Michelson Philanthropies,
We are pleased to share news about the California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy (CIII). Its future home in the UCLA Research Park was announced by California Governor Gavin Newsom, UCLA Chancellor Gene Block, and University of California President Michael Drake in a ceremony attended by Nobel Laureates, academic, and community leaders.
From left: Senator Ben Allen, Alya Michelson, Dr. Gary K. Michelson, Governor Gavin Newsom
The historic acquisition of the former Westside Pavilion shopping mall and its transformation into a massive research center was made possible through a $200 million public investment, approved in the 2022 and 2023 state budgets proposed by Governor Newsom and passed by the California State Legislature, with support from the Michelson Center for Public Policy and other partners. Michelson and the founding directors, including Dr. Arie Belldegrun, Dr. Eric Esrailian, Meyer Luskin, Michael Milken, and Sean Parker, are making a significant philanthropic commitment to the institute, which will be announced in soon.
According to Dr. Michelson, who chairs the board of founding directors, CIII will be a “Field of Dreams” for biomedical research that will revolutionize human health, prevent and cure disease, and be a catalyst for economic growth and innovation akin to how Silicon Valley spurred breakthroughs that launched several of the biggest companies in the world today. Read more here. You may also find coverage of the announcement in the LA Times, Associated Press, and EdSource.
Sincerely,
Geoffrey Baum
Executive Director
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Photo credit: Getty Images
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