The UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute received a $25 million
donation June 17, making it one the nation’s largest gifts
solely directed toward the study of the brain.
Terry Semel, chief executive officer of Yahoo! Inc., and his
wife made the donation to the institute, which will be renamed in
honor of them.
Faculty at the institute say they hope the donation will create
a unique relationship between the scientific developments coming
out of the institute and the community.
“The endowment will focus our efforts toward the community
“¦ and it will bring great science and great clinical care
into closer (proximity) with the community’s needs,”
said Peter Whybrow, director of the institute.
Specifically, the money will be instrumental to the development
of new programs and the “training of young people,”
Whybrow said.
The institute currently conducts a wide array of research into
various illnesses, diseases and behaviors of the brain.
“(The institute) is dedicated to the pursuit of better
clinical care for psychiatric and neurological disorders “¦
and a comprehensive program of research and education,” said
a press release regarding the donation.
In particular, researchers at the institute study everything
from genes to culture, autism to Alzheimer’s disease.
Among the many challenges facing the institute is a lack of
funding due to state budget cuts, Whybrow said, and the donation
will help sustain the program.
Another obstacle the institute grapples with is teaching the
public how to take care of its own health.
“We need to create a closer attachment to the community
and to create awareness on the part of the public,” Whybrow
said.
In this case the purpose of the institute is twofold: to cure
brain disease and to help prevent it.
“We want to help not only brain diseases ““ such as
Alzheimer’s disease and schizophrenia ““ but we also
want to learn how to minimize it and to teach people how to be good
custodians of their health.” Whybrow said.
Many of the problems society faces today, such as anxiety
disorders and obesity, arise from a “demand-driven
environment,” he added.
The Semels recognize the current situation and are donating to
the institute to enact change.
“We want to help lift the stigma that weighs heavily on
millions of Americans suffering from diseases of the brain by
inspiring greater public understanding of the impact of biology,
genetics and culture on behavior and personal health,” Semel
said in the press release.
The institute embodies this sentiment in its mission, and many
of the researchers say they are committed to enacting social
change.
“If the general public knew more about how their
environment is becoming toxic and thought things through carefully,
we would be better off. “¦ We want to teach people how to take
better care of themselves,” Whybrow said.
The institute is among the largest in the world, with 700
clinical faculty, 1,300 staff members and operating revenues of
more than $200 million, according to the press release.
And though the institute is not well known in Los Angeles, it is
renowned around the world, especially Europe, Whybrow said.
With the help of the $25 million donation, researchers say they
will make significant strides toward curing many illnesses and
keeping the institute at the forefront of neuropsychiatric
developments.