002-AP-00
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SAMUELI FAMILY GIVES $5.7 MILLION TO UC IRVINE COLLEGE OF MEDICINE TO SUPPORT RESEARCH ON ALTERNATIVE MEDICAL TREATMENTS
Susan Samueli Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine to Be Established
Irvine, Calif., Jan. 12, 2000 -- Dr. Henry and Susan Samueli have personally donated $5.7 million to UC Irvine's College of Medicine to support research to bridge the gap between traditional and alternative medicine. Their gift will create the Susan Samueli Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at UCI's College of Medicine.
Researchers at the center will conduct scientific studies of the various therapies considered to be a part of alternative and complementary medicine, including herbs and homeopathic medicine, as they relate to such areas as cardiovascular, autoimmune and neuromuscular diseases, cancer treatment and prevention, and menopause and aging. In addition, the center will foster UCI's emergence as a leader in the scientific study of acupuncture by supporting basic and clinical research on the effects of acupuncture on a wide range of diseases. The center also will help medical students understand and evaluate the value of alternative therapies, and will serve as a source of science-based information for physicians, alternative medicine practitioners and the community.
Susan Samueli has had a longstanding interest in alternative health care, having extensively studied and practiced the application of homeopathic remedies and Chinese herbs in the treatment of various chronic and acute illnesses.
"This major gift from Henry and Susan Samueli will greatly enhance the UCI College of Medicine's role as a leader in the study of alternative and complementary medicine," Chancellor Ralph J. Cicerone said. "The Samuelis are visionary thinkers, and they understand how supporting the work of faculty and students at a top research university contributes to innovation, and how research innovation can help society."
A 1997 survey published in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that the number of visits to alternative practitioners in the United States exceeded total visits to primary care physicians. There also has been a significant increase in the number of institutions studying complementary and alternative medicine. For example, the National Institutes of Health has established the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine to conduct and support research and training and to disseminate information on complementary and alternative medicine to practitioners and the public.
"As more people begin using nontraditional means of treating and preventing disease, it is vital for medical scientists to determine how--and if--these therapies work and how they can be applied to a variety of diseases," said Dr. Thomas C. Cesario, dean of UCI's College of Medicine. "This generous gift from the Samuelis will allow us to build on our expertise in studying alternative medicine."
"Henry and I believe there is great potential in alternative therapies to fight a variety of diseases, but there is a lack of information for doctors--and patients--on how to use these therapies effectively and safely in tandem with traditional medicine," Susan Samueli said. "UCI's College of Medicine has demonstrated a recognition of the importance of bridging the gap between traditional medicine and alternative therapies. This new center will help expand knowledge of the benefits and risks of alternative medicine."
Dr. John Longhurst, professor and chair of the Department of Medicine, and Dr. Joseph Scherger, professor and chair of the Department of Family Medicine, will serve as interim co-directors of the center. They will be responsible for recruiting a leading scientist in the field of alternative medicine to serve as director of the center. Longhurst has researched the effects of acupuncture on the cardiovascular system for many years. Scherger, who also is associate dean for clinical affairs at the College of Medicine, has decades of experience in community health and primary care.
The gift to the College of Medicine is the second major gift the Samuelis have personally made to UCI. In December, they gave $20 million to UCI's School of Engineering. At the same time, they made a $30 million gift to UCLA's School of Engineering. Henry Samueli, who received a B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. in electrical engineering from UCLA and was a professor in the Electrical Engineering Department at UCLA, has been active at UCI since he co-founded Broadcom along with Dr. Henry T. Nicholas III in 1991. The Irvine-based company is a leading provider of semiconductors that enable the digital transmission of voice, data and video content for home and business applications.
Henry Samueli serves on the Board of Trustees of the UCI Foundation, as a board member of the School of Engineering's Corporate Affiliates Program, and as vice chair of the UCI Chief Executive Roundtable.
Henry and Susan Samueli also are active in the community as advocates of education, social services and the arts. Henry Samueli is on the board of Project Tomorrow, a community partnership to enhance K-12 science education in Orange County, as well as on the board of the Orange County Performing Arts Center. He received the 1999 National Human Relations Award from the Orange County Chapter of the American Jewish Committee. Susan Samueli serves on the boards of the Orangewood Children's Foundation, Opera Pacific and Temple Beth El in Aliso Viejo.
Editor's Note: Susan Samueli has requested that a photo of her not be used.
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Contact: Andrew Porterfield
(949) 824-3969
[email protected]
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