Michelson Medical Research Foundation: 2024 February Newsletter
Left to right: Senator Ben Allen, Alya Michelson, Gary Michelson, and Governor Gavin Newsom.
UCLA Research Park Will Be Home to California Institute for Immunology & Immunotherapy
Dr. Gary K. Michelson and California Governor Gavin Newsom, pictured with State Senator Ben Allen and Michelson Philanthropies Co-chair Alya Michelson, announce the establishment of the revolutionary new California Institute for Immunology & Immunotherapy (CIII). It will be headquartered in the UCLA Research Park.
Along with Dr. Michelson, founders include Dr. Arie Belldegrun, Dr. Eric Esrailian, Meyer Luskin, Michael Milken, and Sean Parker. Learn more here and read coverage of the center opening in the Associated Press and the Los Angeles Times.
MICHELSON LAUREATES TO BE ANNOUNCED IN COMING WEEKS
The Michelson Philanthropies & Science Prize for Immunology will be announced on February 15 and the Michelson Prizes: Next Generation Grants on March 5.
Each award is a recognition of past achievements and a catalyst for future endeavors, encouraging these promising young scientists to reach new heights in their pursuit of scientific excellence. Their journeys will become integral components of the ongoing narrative of medical progress.
Thank you for your support and partnership, which fuels the passion of these dedicated researchers and propels our shared mission to advance medical knowledge and develop new therapies to fight disease and improve health for all.
In the News
Dr. Lisa Wagar, Assistant Professor, University of California, Irvine
2022 Michelson Philanthropies & Science Prize for Immunology recipient Lisa Wagar received the prestigious 3Rs Prize for Animal Free Research, recognizing her outstanding contribution to humane and impactful research methods. Don't miss the insightful article and award video detailing her groundbreaking work.
Dr. Roser Vento-Tormo, Group Leader, Wellcome Sanger Institute
This 2023 Michelson Philanthropies & Science Prize for Immunology laureate earned the Emerging Talent Award from the Society for Spanish Research in the United Kingdom in the same year. Learn more here.
Dr. Jenna Guthmiller and Dr. Nicholas Wu, Professors at the University of Colorado Anschutz and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
These Michelson Laureates were integral members of a team recently awarded $9.5 million for research in emerging pathogens. Jenna received the Michelson Prizes: Next Generation Grants in 2022, and Nicholas the year before. Check out this feature on their groundbreaking research.
Maryn McKenna, Science Journalist and Author
Maryn received the 2023 Victor Cohn Prize for Excellence in Medical Science Reporting, sponsored by Michelson Philanthropies. Originally published in the New Republic, her award-winning article has now joined the CASW Showcase collection of distinguished science writing. Nominations for the 2024 Victor Cohn Prize are now being accepted.
Advancing Success: Notable Career Updates
Dr. Aleksandar Obradovic | 2023 Michelson Philanthropies & Science Prize for Immunology recipient
We congratulate Aleksandar, who has recently earned his MD and opened his lab at Columbia University.
Dr. Scott Biering | 2022 Michelson Philanthropies & Science Prize for Immunology recipient
Scott opened his lab at UC San Diego this month. We look forward to hearing updates as his lab grows this coming year.
New Publications
Research from Dr. Lisa Wagar’s laboratory used tonsil organoids to measure the immune response to different influenza vaccines. This work aims to better inform vaccine design. Dr. Wagar is a 2022 Michelson Prize Laureate. Read the article here.
A gene-editing screen revealed new avenues for enhancing the activity of a tumor-killer cell in a recent study from Dr. Murad Mamedov published in Nature. He received the Next Generation Grants in 2019. Check out our conversation with Murad here.
Dr. Kamal Mandal, a 2019 Next Generation Grants recipient, published his discovery of a new CAR T-cell therapy target in Nature Cancer. Read more here.
USC Michelson Center Celebrates 5th Anniversary
In 2023, we celebrated the 5th anniversary of the USC Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience. The Center continues to be a hub of innovation and collaboration, driving progress at the intersection of diverse scientific disciplines.
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