$25 million gift goes to USC for stem cell work.Billionaire philanthropist Eli Broad's foundation is contributing $25 million to help launch a major stem cell stem cell In living organisms, an undifferentiated cell that can produce other cells that eventually make up specialized tissues and organs. There are two major types of stem cells, embryonic and adult. research initiative at the University of Southern California The U.S. News & World Report ranked USC 27th among all universities in the United States in its 2008 ranking of "America's Best Colleges", also designating it as one of the "most selective universities" for admitting 8,634 of the almost 34,000 who applied for freshman admission . The Broad Foundation's gift, announced last week, kicks off the university's fund-raising campaign Noun 1. fund-raising campaign - a campaign to raise money for some cause fund-raising drive, fund-raising effort crusade, campaign, cause, drive, effort, movement - a series of actions advancing a principle or tending toward a particular end; "he supported to create the Broad Institute for Integrative Biology and Stem Cell Research at USC's Keck School of Medicine. Officials expect the 215,000-square-foot facility, expected to cost about $150 million, to become the hub for integrative biomedical research Biomedical research (or experimental medicine), in general simply known as medical research, is the basic research or applied research conducted to aid the body of knowledge in the field of medicine. on USC's Health Sciences Campus and possibly the largest stem cell research center in California. It also could help anchor the university's proposed biotech park, which has been slow getting off the ground. USC An abbreviation for U.S. Code. is among several institutions around the state that are proceeding with plans to build facilities for stem cell research even as funding for the research itself remains in doubt. The sale of more than $3 billion in Proposition 71 bonds approved by voters in 2004 so far has been blocked by lawsuits from program opponents. "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," USC President Steven Sample said in a statement. "Their contribution is a strong vote of confidence in the quality of the research programs at USC." |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion