Philanthropist couple Gary and Alya Michelson have announced a $120 million gift to establish the California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy at UCLA’s new Research Park. The new institute will comprise two research entities each provided with $50 million for their launch. One will focus on the rapid development of vaccines and the second will look to tap the human microbiome to improve health. The microbiome research will be conducted in conjunction with the UCLA Goodman-Luskin Microbiome Center, positioning the institute among the largest microbiome research enterprises globally.
The remaining $20 million will fund an endowment at UCLA to provide research grants for scientists taking novel approaches to immunotherapy research, human immunology, and vaccine discovery. Provided to young researchers, the endowment aims to foster the next generation of scientific leaders and accelerate advancements in these critical areas.
“Immunology is the mediator of nearly all human diseases, whether we’re talking about cancer or heart disease or Alzheimer’s,” Michelson said. “The vision for this institute is to become a ‘field of dreams’—the world’s leading center for the study of the immune system to develop advanced immunotherapies to prevent, treat, and cure all of the diseases that afflict people today and to end these diseases in our lifetime.”
Michelson is a renowned spine surgeon and inventor who holds nearly 1,000 patents. His invention of new implants, instruments, and procedures greatly improved the success rates of spinal procedures, with many of them referred to as “Michelson Devices,” which assist in surgical procedures by decreasing blood loss, incision size, while addressing other factors.
“The UCLA community owes Alya and Gary Michelson a debt of gratitude for this transformative gift,” said UCLA interim chancellor Darnell Hunt. “The Michelsons envisioned an institute that would leverage UCLA’s strengths for maximum public good, create new knowledge leading to better medical treatments, and reshape the study of immunology. The gift will change countless lives here and across the globe.”
The Institute will occupy 360,000 square feet of the UCLA Research Park, which is located on the site of the former Westside Pavilion. This new facility, part of a 700,000-square-foot development, was acquired by UCLA in January 2024 with a $200 million appropriation from the state of California. The institute will be housed in the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
Former UCLA chancellor Gene Block, who spearheaded the acquisition of the Westside Pavilion property, said: “I am incredibly excited to see the institute taking shape—in large part due to the work and contributions of the Michelsons and our other partners. The institute exemplifies UCLA’s enduring commitment to harnessing scientific research for the public good and will cement our university’s position as one of the world’s leading centers of medical innovation.”
The Michelsons’ philanthropic efforts extend beyond this latest gift. Over the past 30 years, they have donated hundreds of millions of dollars to causes including social inequities, medical research, education reform, prison reform, and animal welfare. Notably, they fund the Michelson Prizes for immunology and vaccine research. In 2016, the couple signed The Giving Pledge a campaign launched by Bill Gates and Warren Buffett that encourages the wealthiest individuals and families to contribute the majority of their fortune to philanthropic causes.
