Aug 08, 2012
Neurosurgery receives $1 million from movie exec for brain cancer research
Dr. Neil Martin (from left), Dr. Linda Liau, donor Ted Gagliano and Dr. Marvin Bergsneider. The physicians, in the Department of Neurosurgery, conduct groundbreaking research in brain science.
has received a $1 million donation pledge from Ted Gagliano, president of post-production at 20th Century Fox Studios, to support brain cancer research.
Gagliano was inspired to make this contribution after attending UCLA Neurosurgery’s 2011 Visionary Ball, where stories were shared by patients whose lives were saved by UCLA neurosurgeons. "I was moved by the unfairness of brain disease, and it hit me how lucky I am to be healthy,” Gagliano recalled. “I learned about the great work that UCLA does and wanted to do more to help."
After seeing the research being done in the laboratory of
Dr. Linda Liau, professor and vice chair of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and director of the UCLA Brain Tumor Program, Gagliano was sure he was making the right choice.
“I was fascinated by Dr. Liau's vaccine work. She isn't just surgically removing brain tumors; she's looking for new ways to stop them in their tracks for good,” Gagliano said.
Earlier this year, Gagliano became a member of the UCLA Department of Neurosurgery’s board of advisors and hosted the first annual Golden Portal Awards to benefit UCLA’s Brain Tumor Program. To thank him for his support, the UCLA Department of Neurosurgery will present him with its prestigious Luminary Award at its 2012 Visionary Ball at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel on Oct. 25.
For more information, see the
press release in the UCLA Newsroom.
