CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE FOR IMMUNOLOGY AND IMMUNOTHERAPY
“A deeper understanding of the science of immunology can transform biomedical sciences,” says Dr. Owen N. Witte.
the National Cancer Institute under the mentorship of Dr. Steven Rosenberg, considered one of the field’s pioneers. “The fact that we could study the genes involved in the immune system led to the ability to correct a defective gene and use the immune system to keep patients alive and well for years,” he says. “This is now a $100 billion industry in cancer, and we have moved to autoimmune disease, neurology, and other areas. There’s no other field like it, and this institute will put UCLA on the world map as a powerhouse for immune- mediated diseases of all types.” As an independent institute, CIII will draw on the expertise not only of UCLA faculty members, but also of scholars affiliated with other universities in Southern California, along with leading scientists and practitioners outside of academia in fields such as human genetics, genomics, computer science, engineering, and information science. Dr. Esrailian notes that this structure, modeled after independent research institutes with strong university partnerships, such as the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, is advantageous. It allows for casting a wide net when it comes to bringing in leading experts, but it also provides an ability to promote rapid translation of findings to intellectual property, the launching of new biotech companies, and the development of effective new treatments. CIII is its own nonprofit organization with governance by a board of directors that includes UCLA and state administrators, but also leading business people and philanthropists. “That entrepreneurial spirit is embedded in the founding and mission of the institute,” Dr. Esrailian says. “With UCLA having premier schools and expertise in areas such as management, engineering, law, physical sciences, life sciences, medicine, as well as a world- class health system and hospital, all in close proximity — the opportunities for these types of partnerships are enormous. Dr. Belldegrun notes that the institute will become an important source of support for scientists through these entrepreneurial activities. “This is a stand-alone institute that will hold the IP in order to generate multiple companies around UCLA, then return some of the equity from those companies back to the institute to continue the evergreen funding,” he explains. Already, Dr. Belldegrun says, the institute’s leadership has engaged in discussions with major biotech companies about future collaborations within the UCLA Research Park ecosystem. The acquisition of the empty former mall represents the latest in a series of major land acquisitions as part of an expansion designed to broadly extend UCLA’s top-flight resources and
institutional expertise. In June 2023, UCLA bridged the gap between Westwood and Downtown Los Angeles with the purchase of UCLA Downtown, a 334,000-square-foot building in downtown’s Historic Core. And in September 2022, the university acquired its UCLA South Bay campus, including the 24.5 acres of the former Marymount California University campus in Rancho Palos Verdes and an 11-acre residential site in San Pedro. But more than just a necessity, the new space is expected to create a synergy of scientists working in close proximity across disciplinary lines. Beyond the multidisciplinary California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy at UCLA, the research park will house the multidisciplinary UCLA Center for Quantum Science and Engineering, which conducts research in the emerging field of quantum science and technology — including quantum computing, communication, and sensing — as well as programs across the disciplines. “It’s a lesson that’s reinforced over and over again — solving a big problem requires people with different expertise and a common purpose,” Dr. Witte says. “The people involved in this institute will come from disciplines such as physical sciences and chemistry, bioengineering and electrical engineering, computational biology, and all of the medical specialties. It will include experts in every imaginable class of disease that we have at UCLA, the associated hospitals, and the broader Southern California region. The idea is to have this cauldron to put all this energy together and achieve great outcomes faster.” UCLA Research Park is scheduled to be completed in May 2027, but Dr. Esrailian notes that researchers will begin moving into the facility in phases, well before the completion of the entire complex. Goodman-Luskin Microbiome Center, the Center for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, and many other division programs, and their scientists, will benefit from this acquisition and launch. CIII and the new UCLA Research Park are also expected to be a boon for recruiting given the massive potential in many domains. “I’m incredibly grateful for my fellow co-founders and partners on this venture,” Dr. Esrailian says. “We have had tremendous support from the university and the state. Every person who has been a part of this project has rallied and come through despite many challenges, and it is all for the benefit of humanity — both now and in the future.”
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Beyond the Scope
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