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$200 MILLION GIFT
ESTABLISHES
LAWRENCE J. ELLISON
INSTITUTE FOR TRANSFORMATIVE MEDICINE
OF USC
ANNOUNCEMENT MADE AT THE
REBELS WITH A CAUSE GALA HONORING
NOTED PHILANTHROPISTS AND
CIVIC LEADERS DR. CHERYL SABAN AND HAIM SABAN BENEFITING
USC CENTER FOR APPLIED
MOLECULAR MEDICINE FOR LIFE-SAVING CANCER RESEARCH
LOS ANGELES - Oracle
founder and Chairman Larry Ellison has announced a
$200 million gift to the University of Southern California to establish
the Lawrence J. Ellison Institute for Transformative
Medicine of USC. His announcement was made last evening,
May 11, 2016, by Ellison at the third biennial Rebels
With a Cause gala honoring Dr. Cheryl and Haim Saban and
benefitting the groundbreaking research led by David B. Agus,
MD, Director of the USC Norris Westside Cancer Center and
the Center of Applied Molecular Medicine (CAMM) at the Keck
School of Medicine of USC.
Honorary Co-Chair C .L. Max
Nikias, President of the University of Southern California,
welcomed more than 500 luminaries and introduced David
Ellison, CEO and Founder, Skydance Media who co-chaired the
event with wife, singer Sandy. Ellison thanked guests and
supporters for the largest Rebels event to date, and
introduced the first entertainer of the evening,
British-born singer/songwriter Leona Lewis, who performed
her hit single “Fire Under My Feet.”
Entertainment continued with
funnyman host James Corden of The Late Late Show, who
performed an original song and parody, “My Breakup with
Cancer.”
The highlight of the evening
was the introduction of Larry Ellison, Oracle Executive
Chairman and Chief Technology Officer by Dr. David Agus.
“It is an honor and a privilege to team up with Larry
Ellison in the fight against cancer,” said Agus. “Larry
understands the need for transformation in cancer care. His
gift will enable us to change our very approach to cancer
research, treatment and prevention. We will create a new
paradigm, where patients and research have the opportunity
to interact, and where research is not taking place in an
isolated silo. I believe with Larry’s support, we can
advance our research to the next level, allowing the most
effective treatments to benefit patients who are in urgent
need of new therapies – today.”
Larry Ellison, Oracle Corporation's Chairman
of the Board and Chief Technology Officer said, "Tonight I'm
announcing a gift of $200 million to the University of
Southern California to build an interdisciplinary center for
cancer research headed by Dr. David Agus. The new Institute
will invite mathematicians, physicists and other scientists
to collaborate with cancer researchers from the traditional
disciplines of medicine and biology. We believe the
interdisciplinary approach will yield up new insights
currently hidden in existing patient data."
The evening continued with a
stirring rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” by Emmy
and Tony winning actress and singer Kristen Chenoweth who
dedicated the song to Lorna Luft, daughter of Judy Garland,
who was in the audience and is a cancer survivor.
Dr. Agus returned to the
stage and presented the 2016 Rebels With A Cause
award to
Dr. Cheryl and Haim Saban. In accepting the award, the Sabans noted, “Dr.
Agus and his team are trailblazers in the fight against
cancer, and we are thrilled with the overwhelming support
this year’s gala generated for their innovative,
groundbreaking research. We are honored to join him in the
fight against this horrible disease and look forward to the
positive and life-changing impact his research will have for
generations to come.”
The program
portion of the evening ended on a high note with Grammy
Award winning singer Christina Aguilera performing her hits,
“Beautiful” and “Fighter” to a standing ovation.
The event continued with
The Next Gen
Rebels After-Party
featuring today’s best music played by Jason Bentley, host
of KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic and Metropolis.
The addition of an after-party was designed to introduce
young adults to the groundbreaking cancer prevention
research underway with David B. Agus, MD and the team at
USC’s Center for Applied Molecular Medicine (CAMM).
ABOUT THE USC CENTER FOR
APPLIED MOLECULAR MEDICINE (CAMM)
The USC Center for Applied
Molecular Medicine was founded at the Keck School of
Medicine of USC in 2009 by David B. Agus, M.D., to develop
new cross-disciplinary approaches to treating and preventing
cancer. The Center includes team members with expertise
spanning oncology, cancer biology, biochemistry, molecular
biology, bioinformatics, computer science, electrical
engineering, bioorganic chemistry, physics and applied
mathematics. The CAMM program includes the clinical care of
cancer patients at the USC Norris Westside Cancer Center in
Beverly Hills. For information, visit
CAMM.USC.edu
Rebels With A Cause
was produced by internationally acclaimed director and
producer Don Mischer and sixteen-time Grammy Award winner
David Foster returned as
Musical Director.
Website:
BeARebel.org
Facebook:
Facebook.com/RebelsWithACause
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