The University of California, Irvine has announced a $30 million lead gift from the Falling Leaves Foundation in support of a planned medical research facility.

The approximately 200,000-square-foot building will enhance the space available for core instruction and laboratories to extend advances in medicine and the health sciences and help expand the global reach and impact of UCI's advanced cross-disciplinary teaching and translational research. The facility will include wet laboratories and meeting spaces designed to foster groundbreaking research, the training of future investigative pioneers, and collaboration by teams from diverse disciplines to drive innovation. In recognition of the gift, the facility will be named the Falling Leaves Foundation Medical Innovation Building.

Established in 2007 by UCLA professor emeritus Robert A. Mah and Dr. Adeline Yen Mah, the Falling Leaves Foundation works to promote research and understanding of advances in medical science.

"The future of medicine is being advanced at an unbelievable rate," said Adeline Mah. "Twenty-first-century medical innovation is a collaborative process derived from brilliant minds working together rather than flashes of insight from solitary scientists working alone in his or her lab. Successful collaboration is helped greatly by physical proximity. We were impressed by the many sprawling, open workspaces in UCI's Innovation Building, where scientists will interact with one another and exchange ideas."

"This exceptional gift recognizes UCI's preeminence in conducting basic, translational, and clinical research dedicated to the discovery of new medical and scientific knowledge," said chancellor Howard Gillman. "The Falling Leaves Foundation Medical Innovation Building will be a vital resource for exploring new frontiers and improving the lives of people in our community and beyond."