La Jolla, CA \u2013 A gift of $11.5 million has been received on behalf of the Nomis Foundation, a European foundation being established by G.H. “Heini” Thyssen, a long-time friend and Trustee of the Salk Institute, to fund appointments for new investigators specialized in microbial pathogenesis and viral and cellular immunology. The gift, which will launch the Immunobiology and Microbial Pathogenesis program, fulfills a critical component of the Institute’s strategic scientific plan.<\/p>\n
“The Salk Institute is enormously appreciative of Heini’s commitment and generosity,” said Irwin Jacobs, Sc.D., Chairman of the Salk’s Board of Trustees. “Funding for this important scientific initiative will enable Salk scientists to make major contributions toward deciphering the cellular and molecular underpinnings of microbial pathogenesis and immunological deficiencies as well as understanding the role of inflammation in infectious diseases.<\/p>\n
“The opportunity created by this most generous gift to recruit new scientists who will combine their expertise with that of existing faculty will create a critical mass of investigators that will allow the Salk Institute to contribute in entirely new ways to combating human disease,” said Salk Interim President, Nobel laureate Roger Guillemin, M.D., Ph.D. “Additionally, the in-depth study of inflammation has many crossover links to other areas of research, creating opportunities for synergistic benefits.”<\/p>\n
“Heini has been a Salk Trustee since 1998. He has maintained a close friendship with the faculty for many years and we are delighted that his continued support will allow us to do some very exciting science in the area of infectious diseases, a major global health challenge,” said John Young, Ph.D., Chair of the Salk Institute faculty.<\/p>\n
The Nomis foundation is being established to engage in and support basic research programs and projects in the medical and other selected fields where independent research with the highest quality and motivation can be undertaken. This first major gift goes to the Salk as its faculty and leadership once again join forces to strive for excellence.<\/p>\n
Under the Immunobiology and Microbial Pathogenesis program, scientists at Salk will take a multi-pronged approach to conducting research on the pathophysiology of disease that arise from chronic infections, and will seek to understand the role of the immune system in preventing microbially induced disease. The new principal investigators will also work closely with a number of current Salk Institute scientists who are studying the molecular basis of cancer, obesity, and heart disease as well as those studying innate immunity, the first line of defense; and adaptive immunity, the sustained immunity to fight pathogens. <\/p>\n
Primary Research Goals of the Immunobiology and Microbial Pathogenesis program:<\/strong><\/p>\n El Instituto Salk de Estudios Biol\u00f3gicos en La Jolla, California, es una organizaci\u00f3n independiente sin fines de lucro dedicada a descubrimientos fundamentales en las ciencias de la vida, la mejora de la salud humana y la formaci\u00f3n de futuras generaciones de investigadores. Jonas Salk, M.D., cuya vacuna contra la polio pr\u00e1cticamente erradic\u00f3 la debilitante enfermedad de la poliomielitis en 1955, inaugur\u00f3 el Instituto en 1965 con un donativo de terrenos de la Ciudad de San Diego y el apoyo financiero de la March of Dimes.<\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","faculty":[],"disease-research":[],"class_list":["post-2339","disclosure","type-disclosure","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n