Founding Director: Aileen Anderson, PhD
Our Vision: Reverse Neurological Disease and Injury
Imagine a world where the most complex neurological conditions are no longer life sentences. At UC Irvine, this vision is rapidly becoming a reality. We are pioneers in an era of medical revolution, where cell and gene therapies herald a transformative approach to healthcare. Unlike traditional treatments focused on symptom management, our groundbreaking work in cellular medicine is engineered to replace, regenerate and repair damaged tissues and organs.
The UC Irvine Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center (SCRC) is among the most advanced centers in California for stem cell research and treatment. To drive our mission to help as many patients as possible suffering from neurological disorders, the time has come for the SCRC to launch a Neuroscience Program in the Falling Leaves Foundation Medical Innovation Building.
Within the walls of this esteemed facility, our teams will chart a new course in the fight against neurological disease and injury. We envision a dynamic knowledge hub, a nexus where UC Irvine’s leading experts can converge to share insights, foster innovation and accelerate the translation of stem cell and regenerative medicine into life-changing treatments.
Millions of people suffer from severe and complex disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, brain cancer, macular degeneration, traumatic brain and spinal cord injury, and more. The disorders often have little or, in some cases, no viable treatments. SCRC researchers are striving to change this by developing a next generation of therapies for these devastating neurological conditions. The Neuroscience Program has been selected as one of 12 high-impact research programs that will be located in the Falling Leaves Foundation Medical Innovation Building.
In This New Facility
Our Competitive Advantage
Empowered by the distinctive One Health approach of UC Irvine Health Affairs that transcends disciplinary boundaries, the Neuroscience Program will comprise faculty and staff from the Susan & Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences which includes the schools of medicine, nursing, pharmacy & pharmaceutical sciences, population & public health and UCI Health, our regional healthcare delivery system partnered with the trailblazing Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute. With brilliant minds working together instead of in silos, our teams will push the boundaries of innovation and facilitate fundamental discoveries in science.
The SCRC has outstanding research and training programs spanning the disciplines of medicine, biology, engineering, humanities, art, law and ethics. SCRC faculty currently hail from seven UC Irvine schools and over 22 departments. In addition to the engagement of diverse investigators across the campus who are directly working in cell and gene therapies and regenerative medicine, the SCRC supports a wide array of campus investigators through its Core Laboratory operations, and plans are underway to expand UC Irvine’s flow cytometry, mass cytometry and gene editing capabilities.
The SCRC provides state-of-the-art infrastructure to support basic, translational and clinical stem cell research. Our team is developing a responsive and adaptable pipeline of testing for cell-based neurological therapeutics. The SCRC is the origin of first-in-human clinical trials for spinal cord injury and retinal disease, and our investigators have launched multiple local companies focused on regenerative medicine advances. This is a unique area of strength at UC Irvine, and indeed across stem cell and regenerative medicine centers both in California and across the nation.
Training at the SCRC has also received recognition from leading organizations. For example, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), the world’s largest institution dedicated to regenerative medicine, has supported several initiatives at the SCRC making the center a leader at UC Irvine for training grants received to date. At the undergraduate level, training at the SCRC includes pairing students with faculty mentors to help learn hands-on lab skills, good manufacturing procedures and clinical research coordination. At the postgraduate level, each SCRC trainee is assigned a formal research mentor and a clinical mentor, offering a complete bench-to-bedside experience. This is a strength that will translate to the future success of the Neuroscience Program in the Falling Leaves Foundation Medical Innovation Building.
A History of Innovation and Discovery
2005
Sue and Bill Gross donate $10 million to establish the UC Irvine Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center
2010
Based on the work of Aileen Anderson, PhD and Brian Cummings, PhD, Stem Cells Inc launches a clinical trial of human stem cells to treat spinal cord injury
Construction of the Sue & Bill Gross Hall is completed thanks to the generosity of several founding partners, including the Gross’, Ed Thorp, Ed and Maggie Chang, Tom and Misa Yuen as well as CIRM and other UC Irvine funding
2013
Faculty Henry Klassen, MD, PhD launches a clinical trial of human stem cells to treat retinal disease
2015
SCRC named California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) Alpha Clinic in partnership with UCLA to establish the UCLA-UCI Alpha Clinic
2017
Aileen Anderson, PhD takes the SCRC helm and facilitates significant growth
2019
A $3 million estate gift from Anne Cullen starts an endowment fund for the SCRC
2022
UC Irvine Alpha Clinic receives designation from CIRM to operate as an independent clinic and opens a four-bed outpatient stem cell infusion center within Gross Hall
2023
Alpha Clinic treats its 225th patient
2024
Two SCRC researchers gain FDA IND approval for clinical trials: Leslie Thompson, PhD, for her work on Huntington’s disease and Daniela Bota, MD, PhD, using gene therapy for glioblastoma
Join Us in Making an Impact
We are seeking philanthropic partners to establish a home for the Neuroscience Program in the Falling Leaves Foundation Medical Innovation Building. This support will transform discovery, teaching and healing.
