Penn Medicine has announced a $10 million gift from alumnus Stewart Colton (W’62) and his wife, Judy, in support of autoimmune diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine.

The gift will launch the Colton Center for Autoimmunity, which aims to unite research and patient care programs across the university, including Penn’s Institute for Immunology, to drive the research and development of new treatment therapies; support clinicians and scientists interested in autoimmunity; invest in big data tools to accelerate research; and collaborate across existing Colton Centers at New York University and Yale University.

“We hope this joint effort across all three world-renowned institutions — NYU, Yale, and Penn — will not only accelerate awareness for autoimmunity, but drive further innovative research for autoimmune diseases, which may help advance prevention and treatments for these types of diseases,” said Judy and Stewart Colton.

“The Colton Center for Autoimmunity at Penn is built on the strength of Penn’s collaborative environment, where our scientific enterprise is woven into the fabric of our health system and medical school’s identity and mission,” said J. Larry Jameson, executive vice president of the University of Pennsylvania for the Health System and dean of the Perelman School of Medicine. “We are proud to be home to this new center and are confident it will drive a rapid and significant impact on patients and families facing autoimmune disease.”

(Photo credit: Penn Medicine)