$15 million gift to name, support UC Irvine’s Center for Translational Vision Research

Investment accelerates world-class vision science at UC Irvine, advances research to develop new treatments for blinding diseases

Orange, Calif. — UC Irvine has received a $15 million gift from the Brunson Foundation, led by James and Cynthia DeBoard, to name the Center for Translational Vision Research in the Falling Leaves Foundation Medical Innovation Building. The funding, which honors the memory of entrepreneur and philanthropist Robert M. Brunson, is expected to accelerate the development of treatments and cures for blinding diseases.

“We are deeply grateful to the Brunson Foundation for this transformational gift that will accelerate our mission to develop life-changing treatments for blinding diseases,” said Dr. Steve Goldstein, vice chancellor for UC Irvine Health Affairs.

“This investment honors Robert Brunson’s legacy while positioning UC Irvine at the forefront of vision research innovation, where our scientists and clinicians can pursue the most promising avenues to restore and preserve sight.”

The Brunson Foundation gift will have both an immediate and a lasting impact on UC Irvine. Of the total, $5 million will support the final construction and outfitting of the Falling Leaves Foundation Medical Innovation Building, a state-of-the-art research hub designed to foster collaboration among scientists and clinicians.

The remaining $10 million will establish the Robert M. Brunson Center for Translational Vision Research Endowment, providing vital resources for the center’s top priorities under its director, Krzysztof Palczewski, PhD, Distinguished Professor, Donald Bren Professor and Irving H. Leopold Chair in the Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences.

“The Brunson Foundation’s generosity honors Bob Brunson’s life and legacy in a way that will impact patients for generations,” Palczewski said. In recognition of this transformational gift, the center will now be named the Brunson Center for Translational Vision Research. Dr. Baruch Kuppermann, the Roger F. Steinert Endowed Professor and chair of the Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, as well as director of the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, will serve as clinical co-director.

At 215,000 square feet, the Falling Leaves Foundation Medical Innovation Building will be one of the largest translational research facilities on the West Coast. Located at the heart of UC Irvine’s health sciences district, it brings together experts from several research areas to tackle critical health challenges – such as dementia, blindness, epilepsy and cancer – and create innovative treatments with stem cells, vaccines, gene therapies and structure-based drug design.

Brunson was a pioneering entrepreneur, civic leader and benefactor who suffered from vision loss later in life. He and his wife, Erika, an internationally known interior designer, were deeply committed to improving lives through philanthropy. Upon their deaths, they entrusted their estate to the Brunson Foundation, which is now managed by the DeBoard family, longtime business partners and friends. Brunson built a distinguished business career, holding executive positions at General Dynamics, Singer Corp., Metropolitan Bank and other companies before becoming a Taco Bell franchise owner in 1986. He was appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson to several federal roles, including the West Point Military Academy Board of Visitors, and served on the Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners.

“It is an honor to hold the role of trustee of the Brunson Foundation and carry out the philanthropic vision of my dear friend and longtime business partner, Bob Brunson,” James DeBoard said.

“We believe success happens when one works with great people, and Dr. Kuppermann and Dr. Palczewski exemplify just this. We look forward to the strides that will be made in vision research, treatment and care under their leadership and expertise.”

The DeBoards, through their familiarity with UCI Health and its premier services as a leading academic health system in the nation, learned more about the university’s leading-edge research in ophthalmology and were especially moved by the leadership of Palczewski and Kuppermann.

“This extraordinary investment will empower us to push the boundaries of discovery, moving promising therapies from the lab into the clinic more rapidly,” Kuppermann said.