UCLA has announced a substantial commitment of $25 million from Shirley Wang, a UCLA alumna and former chair of The UCLA Foundation board, and Walter Wang for the establishment of a new center dedicated to integrative digestive health. The UCLA Walter and Shirley Wang Center for Integrative Digestive Health will utilize the gastrointestinal system to treat various conditions that manifest symptoms such as chronic body pain, insomnia, and mood disorders.
The center will provide patients with access to a multidisciplinary team offering comprehensive care, drawing from fields such as gastroenterology, integrative health, psychology, and nutrition. “I am grateful to Shirley and Walter Wang for their profound generosity and vision,” commented Johnese Spisso, president of UCLA Health and CEO of the UCLA Hospital System, emphasizing the potential impact of the donation on patient care for gastrointestinal diseases.
Shirley Wang highlighted the importance of the gift, stating, “We decided to make this gift because we saw the difference that proper medical treatment for people living with a digestive disorder could make in their quality of life.” Her husband, Walter Wang, added that their objective is to create access to life-transforming care through lifestyle, dietary advice, and psychological support.
UCLA takes pride in being ranked as the No. 1 public university in U.S. News and World Report’s “Best Colleges” rankings, for the eighth consecutive year. The new center will benefit from synergies with UCLA’s renowned academic medical center and other specialized centers, including the Melvin and Bren Simon Digestive Diseases Center and the Goodman-Luskin Microbiome Center.
Dr. Eric Esrailian, chief of the UCLA Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases and director of the Melvin and Bren Simon Digestive Diseases Center, expressed his gratitude to the Wangs, acknowledging the transformative impact of their donation. “Thanks to their visionary and transformational gift, the UCLA Walter and Shirley Wang Center for Integrative Digestive Health will be the undisputed global leader in this field,” said Dr. Esrailian.
Shirley and Walter Wang’s longstanding commitment to UCLA includes previous contributions to various programs, such as the Depression Grand Challenge and several endowed chairs, including the Walter and Shirley Wang Endowed Chair in Medicinal Drug Discovery.
