A local film executive has pledged $1 million for the UCLA Department of Neurosurgery’s brain cancer research.
The donation comes from Ted Gagliano, an executive at 20th Century Fox Studios who helped create films like “Titanic” and “Avatar.”
Dr. Linda Liau, a neurosurgeon and professor of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine, and her team aim to use the money to develop a vaccine that trains the brain how to kill brain cancer cells, according to a UCLA statement.
Gagliano’s experience as a guest last year at UCLA Neurosurgery’s Visionary Ball, an annual fundraiser that supports patients with neurological disorders, and his friend’s battle with a lethal brain tumor prompted him to make the pledge, he said in the statement.
“The survivors’ personal stories of hope and courage really inspired me,” Gagliano said. “I was moved by the unfairness of brain disease, and it hit me how lucky I am to be healthy. I learned about the great work that UCLA does and wanted to do more to help.”
Compiled by Alessandra Daskalakis, Bruin senior staff.