The University of Arizona has announced a $10 million gift from the Steele Foundation in support of the Health Sciences Center for Advanced Molecular and Immunological Therapies (CAMI). 

The largest gift in the foundation’s history includes $2 million designated for CAMI, which will be located at the Phoenix Bioscience Core. CAMI will serve as a hub to advance knowledge of the immunology of autoimmune conditions, inflammation, cancers, and infectious diseases to develop novel strategies for the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases. With the funding, CAMI researchers will be able to concentrate on autoimmune diseases that affect children, such as Type 1 diabetes, juvenile arthritis, lupus, inflammatory bowel disease and celiac disease.

The remaining $8 million will be used to create the Cracchiolo Institute, establish the Daniel Cracchiolo Endowed Chair for Pediatric Autoimmune Disease Research, and provide financial support for graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, the Pamela Grant Endowed Professorship, and the Fayez K. Ghishan, MD Endowed Professorship. 

“My dad was deeply loved and respected, a force of nature, and a die-hard Wildcat. In 1992, he helped establish a children’s research center bearing the Steele name, and this was deeply gratifying to him,” said Steele Foundation president and CEO Marianne Cracchiolo Mago. “Today, it’s my dad’s turn to be recognized through the creation of the Daniel Cracchiolo Institute at Steele Children’s Research Center. “The foundation is honored to be the first private philanthropic investment in CAMI. We were inspired by the mission and how it will complement the incredible work at the Phoenix Bioscience Core. It’s compelling to have pediatric and adult researchers collaborating under one roof and feels like a huge opportunity for CAMI to become a national model in research and discovery. As a proud alum, this experience with Dr. Ghishan and the University of Arizona Foundation has helped my family craft a beautiful tribute for an irreplaceable man.”

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