The University of California San Diego has received a $3.25 million donation from philanthropists Steven Strauss and Lise Wilson to establish the city's first cardiomyopathy center.
In addition, the university said it will raise an additional $1.75 million, bringing the total pledge amount for the center to $5 million.
The center will focus on identifying new tools for diagnosis and prevention of the condition, the development of new treatment options, and educating the next generation of physicians and scientists. It will be located at the university's medical school, within the cardiovascular institute, according to a June 25 news release.
Cardiomyopathy is a disease of the heart muscle that can lead to heart failure, and with no cure, some patients eventually require a heart transplant.
The Steven M. Strauss and Lise N. Wilson Center for Cardiomyopathy will be led by Eric Adler, MD, professor of medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine, and medical director of the heart transplant program and mechanical circulatory support at UC San Diego Health.
"Unfortunately, we cannot solve this problem with our current medications or cardiac transplant, and new tools are desperately needed to identify the disease and develop therapies," Dr. Adler said. "This gift will help ensure the long-term success of our center and its research, as well as the creation of innovative treatments led by a team committed to excellence in cardiomyopathy care so we can transform this field of medicine."