$25 million Broad Foundation gift creates stem cell institute at USC
The new Broad Institute will be the pivotal hub for integrative biomedical research on USC’s Health Sciences Campus, bringing together researchers, biologists and equipment in one place as they investigate the causes and treatments of a wide spectrum of diseases.
“This will hopefully be the anchor of a new biomedical corridor in the region, where the nation’s most cutting-edge research is conducted by some of the brightest minds in science,” said Eli Broad, founder of The Broad Foundation, in announcing the gift at a ceremony on Feb. 23.
He noted that he and wife Edythe Broad have a philosophy of “taking risks in philanthropy, but in areas we believe have enormous potential.” That is why, he added, “that it’s only fitting that the Broad Institute is being created here in Los Angeles, to realize the full potential of this area of research.”
USC President Steven B. Sample spoke of Broads’ “legacy of generosity.” Their gift, he said, “will enhance the quality of life not only for the people of Southern California, but for people around the world.”
Added Sample: “For many years the Broads have been the driving force behind programs that promote health and well-being, enhance cultural and educational opportunities, and support urban and economic revitalization. We are very fortunate that Edythe and Eli have the vision to see what needs to be done, the generosity to make it possible, and the will to make it a reality.
“Their contribution is a strong vote of confidence in the quality of the research programs at USC, and ensures that Southern California will remain at the world’s epicenter for biomedical technology and the life sciences.”
The Broad Institute will include the newly created Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine, a multidisciplinary initiative comprised of researchers from the USC Health Sciences and University Park campuses as well as from Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. The scientific teams will pursue basic research in regenerative medicine and will work with teams from the California Institute of Technology and other regional scientific institutions to develop novel platforms in imaging, bioengineering and nanotechnology for application to stem cell research. The stem cell scientists at the Broad Institute and their associated researchers will also work to translate this basic research into useable new therapies for a wide variety of diseases and conditions.
The Broad Institute will reach beyond the realm of stem cell biology as well. In addition to the 18 new investigators from the Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, the 215,000-square-foot structure will house another 18 prominent basic and clinical investigators engaged in interdisciplinary research in transplant biology, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes and other metabolic diseases. About 16 computational or clinical scientists, whose work is critical to a successful translational research program, will also be located in the Broad Institute. The institute will have a state-of-the-art imaging facility and a biotechnology transfer center that is expected to become an essential resource for researchers and for the entire Keck School of Medicine community.
“The Broad Institute for Integrative Biology and Stem Cell Research is important to the Keck School, particularly at this time, as the National Institutes of Health launches an initiative to support clinical and translational research,” said Keck School of Medicine Dean Brian E. Henderson. “Our view now is that, in order to solve complex biological problems, scientists must move beyond the confines of their own disciplines and explore new organizational models for team science.
“This institute represents a major step forward in our research on diabetes and heart disease in addition to housing our growing stem cell and regenerative medicine program.”
The Broad Foundation was founded by Eli and Edythe L. Broad as a Los Angeles–based venture philanthropy focused on entrepreneurship for the public good in education, science and the arts. The Broads have also founded the Broad Institute in Cambridge, Mass.—a partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University and its affiliated hospitals, and the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research—to use the power of genomics to understand human disease.
The Broad Foundation Web site can be found at www.broadfoundation.org.
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USC in the News
for 2/8/2012 »-
The Chronicle of Higher Education mentioned USC’s $6 billion fundraising campaign. The story noted that USC had already raised $1 billion in a “quiet phase,” including the $200 million naming gift from USC Trustee and alumnus David Dornsife and wife Dana Dornsife to the USC Dornsife College.
The Guardian (U.K.) highlighted two major gifts to USC in a list of the 10 biggest philanthropic benefactors in America. The list included the $200 million naming gift from USC Trustee and alumnus David Dornsife and wife Dana Dornsife to the USC Dornsife College, and the $110 million gift from USC Trustee and USC Viterbi School alumnus John Mork and wife Julie to create the USC Mork Family Scholars Program.
The New York Times featured the USC U.S.-China Institute documentary “Assignment: China — The Week that Changed the World.” The documentary, part of a series, examines media coverage of the 1972 Nixon trip that reshaped U.S.-China relations after a quarter century of isolation and hostility. “People look back now and take it for granted that the outcome was preordained,” said the institute’s Mike Chinoy, who produced the documentary. Voice of America also featured the story.
Los Angeles Times featured the Oscar Senti-meter, a tool developed by the USC Annenberg School, Los Angeles Times and IBM that analyzes thousands of tweets about the Academy Awards nominees. The story noted that Mexican actor Demian Bechir received an enormous boost on Twitter the day of the nominations, with a total of 6,893 tweets mentioning him, a 47-fold increase from the day before. The story noted the tool uses language-recognition technology developed in collaboration with USC Viterbi School’s Signal Analysis and Interpretation Lab.
The Times of India (India) featured a three-day medical emergency training workshop organized in association with USC. At the workshop, held at GCS Medical College in India, 50 doctors and more than 100 paramedics learned how to improve emergency support systems. William Mallon of the Keck School of USC said that discussion topics included the use of portable ultrasonic devices to scan patients. “The ultrasound applications help physicians make accurate and timely decisions,” he noted. Daily News & Analysis (India) also featured the workshop.
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