Stanford University School of Medicine has announced a pledge of $24 million over two years from Napster co-founder Sean N. Parker to establish a new research center on allergies.

The Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy Research at Stanford University will conduct research aimed at finding better treatments for children and adults with allergies, identifying underlying immune mechanisms that can be brought to bear against allergies, and developing a lasting cure. To be led by Kari Nadeau, a renowned immunology researcher at the School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford, the center will bring together specialists from a variety of fields, including immunology, gastroenterology, otolaryngology, chemistry, bioengineering, pathology, pulmonology, and genetics.

The gift will provide both discretionary and endowed support for innovative clinical research, state-of-the-art equipment, and salaries for top-ranked research scientists. It also includes $4 million to match new gifts to the center on a dollar-to-dollar basis.

"We need to make catalytic changes in the field of allergy research by studying immune mechanisms in order to apply discoveries in real time to new safer and more durable therapies for adults and children," said Parker, whose firsthand experience with life-threatening allergies led him to establish the center. "I'm excited to partner with Stanford and believe that under the leadership of Dr. Nadeau, the center will make a transformational impact on how we understand and treat allergies."