Connie Frank and Evan Thompson, joined by Kingston.
Photo: Courtesy of Connie Frank
Connie Frank and Evan Thompson have made a contribution to establish the Connie Frank and Evan Thompson Program for Restorative Transplantation Research, under the direction of Dr. Kodi Azari (FEL ’04) in the Department of Surgery. The David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA has initiated research themes to drive advancements, and this gift will be used to implement research awards in the Immunity/Inflammation/Infection/Transplantation Research Theme. Rejection remains the greatest challenge facing the organ transplant field, and this funding will harness the expertise of multidisciplinary teams of UCLA scientists, as they aim to redefine transplant immunology and improve treatments for patients who suffer from conventionally unreconstructable limb, tissue and nerve injuries.
Mose J. and Sylvia Dilman Firestone Charitable Trust has awarded $1 million to UCLA to establish the Firestone Endowment for Care Management. The gift will support social work and supportive-care services for military service members and their families through UCLA Operation Mend’s surgical and mental health treatment programs. Both Mose Firestone (1915-2011) and Sylvia Dilman Firestone (1915-2009) were honored by the National Association of Social Workers as Social Work Pioneers for their lifelong commitment to the well-being of children, families, veterans and the sick, as well as the advancement of the field of social work. In addition to their distinguished careers and legacy of community leadership, each had ties to military service during and after World War II.