UCLA receives $10 million donation to fund migraine research
By Alejandra Reyes-Velarde
Dec. 9, 2015 12:12 p.m.
UCLA received a $10 million donation that will create a new program for migraine research and several health funds Tuesday.
Andrew Charles, a neurology professor and chair of migraine and headache studies, will lead the UCLA Goldberg Migraine Program, which aims to research possible treatments and cures for migraines.
Philanthropists Wendy and Leonard Goldberg’s donation will fund the program. Wendy Goldberg is an author and Leonard Goldberg is currently the producer of the CBS series “Blue Bloods.” Leonard Goldberg served as president of 20th Century Fox and head of programing for ABC, and produced TV series such as “Charlie’s Angels”.
Migraines are severe headaches caused by pain-producing inflammatory substances around the nerves and blood vessels of the head, according to the World Health Organization. Fifty to 75 percent of adults worldwide aged 18-65 years have experienced headaches in the last year, and among those individuals, more than 10 percent have reported migraines.
Wendy and Leonard Goldberg said in a press release their friends and family have been personally affected by the debilitating effects of migraines, prompting the Goldbergs to seek better treatment and a cure.
$500,000 of the $10 million gift will establish the Goldberg Head and Neck Fund, which will be directed by Gerald Berke, chair of the department of head and neck surgery. $1.5 million will be used to establish the Goldberg Health System Fund.
Wendy and Leonard Goldberg have also funded programs at the University of Pennsylvania and the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, according to the press release.
The donation contributes to UCLA’s Centennial Campaign, which aims to raise $4.2 billion by the university’s 100th anniversary in 2019.
Compiled by Alejandra Reyes-Velarde, Bruin senior staff.
