Clemons Family Foundation donates $11 million to support advanced cancer research
Gift will also aid medical innovation building construction and UCI Health – Irvine
Irvine, Calif., Feb. 18, 2025 — The Clemons Family Foundation has pledged $11 million to support cancer research and provide capital funding for the under-construction Falling Leaves Foundation Medical Innovation Building and the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and Ambulatory Care building at the UCI Health – Irvine complex on the University of California, Irvine campus.
“We are profoundly grateful to the Clemons family for this remarkable gift,” said Dr. Steve Goldstein, vice chancellor for health affairs. “Their commitment to advancing cancer research and vision sciences will have a lasting impact on our community and far beyond. By supporting the construction of key facilities and funding innovative research, the Clemons family is enhancing patient care now and fostering new breakthrough therapies and cures. They are invaluable partners in our mission to ‘Discover. Teach. Heal.’”
Of the gift, $9 million will endow a fund for cancer research at the Falling Leaves Foundation Medical Innovation Building, including the cancer metabolism, cellular immuno-oncology and precision oncology research programs under the direction of Dr. Richard Van Etten, professor of hematology/oncology and director of the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Another $1 million is earmarked to finish construction of the Falling Leaves Foundation Medical Innovation Building, including naming the fifth-floor Clemons Family Foundation Terrace. Inspired by the groundbreaking work at the Center for Translational Vision Research under Dr. Krzysztof Palczewski’s leadership, the Clemons Family Foundation’s initial gift to the building catalyzed its continued partnership with UC Irvine to advance innovative research and patient care.
The final $1 million will enable completion of UCI Health – Irvine medical complex construction. On the UC Irvine campus, the Joe C. Wen & Family Center for Advanced Care and the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and Ambulatory Care buildings opened to patients in 2024, while a 144-bed acute care hospital complete with a 24-hour emergency department is scheduled to open later this year.
In recognition, a 736-square-foot terrace on the fourth floor of the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center will be named the Clemons Family Outdoor Patient Infusion Area. It will extend from the infusion center to provide patients undergoing chemotherapy with a calming pre- and post-treatment space overlooking a vast naturescape of protected wetlands.
The Clemons Family Foundation is supported by a philanthropic trust of Marie Clemons of Newport Beach and her children, V. Gordon Clemons Jr., MBA ’04, and Anne Marie Clemons-Thomas. Longtime Orange County residents, they are all passionate about helping health-, technology- and community-focused organizations through the Clemons Family Foundation.
“We are on the cusp of a new era of technological innovation with the ability to rapidly advance medicine, clinical trials and care,” Marie Clemons said. “My family and I have seen firsthand the inspiring progress being made by UC Irvine researchers and physicians in vision science and cancer. We are excited to see how new discoveries will transform healthcare for the Orange County community. Cancer touches so many individuals, and we are proud to support the university’s growth, cutting-edge research and expert care in this critical area.”
At 215,000 square feet, the Falling Leaves Foundation Medical Innovation Building is slated to be among the largest interdisciplinary discovery and translational research hubs on the West Coast when completed this spring. Located in the heart of UC Irvine’s health sciences complex, at the corner of Health Sciences Road and Michael Drake Drive, the building has been meticulously designed to support collaboration across 12 high-impact research areas including cancer, neurosciences, vision and stem cells. It will amplify opportunities for unexpected discoveries, produce more effective tools to predict and prevent illness and treat diseases, and elevate the well-being of communities and individuals in Orange County, across the state and around the world.
About UC Irvine’s Brilliant Future campaign: Publicly launched on Oct. 4, 2019, the Brilliant Future campaign aims to raise awareness and support for UC Irvine. By engaging 75,000 alumni and garnering $2 billion in philanthropic investment, UC Irvine seeks to reach new heights of excellence in student success, health and wellness, research and more. Health Affairs plays a vital role in the success of the campaign. Learn more by visiting https://brilliantfuture.uci.edu/uci-health-affairs.
About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UC Irvine is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities and is ranked among the nation’s top 10 public universities by U.S. News & World Report. The campus has produced five Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UC Irvine has more than 36,000 students and offers 224 degree programs. It’s located in one of the world’s safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County’s second-largest employer, contributing $7 billion annually to the local economy and $8 billion statewide. For more on UC Irvine, visit www.uci.edu.
About UC Irvine Health Affairs: UC Irvine Health Affairs is a $4.5 billion enterprise that includes the Susan & Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences, featuring schools of medicine, nursing, pharmacy and public health. It encompasses renowned research centers and institutes and UCI Health, the only academic healthcare delivery system in Orange County. UCI Health has more than 1,300 licensed beds and serves over 4 million residents across Orange and Los Angeles counties. With more than 15,000 faculty and staff, UC Irvine Health Affairs embraces a distinctive “One Health” approach that unites the health disciplines to amplify their combined strengths to provide patient-centered, team-based, data-directed, whole-person care and fulfill its mission to “Discover. Teach. Heal.” For more information, visit healthaffairs.uci.edu.
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