University Of Chicago Receives $21 Million Gift For Quantum Medicine

Forbes

19 hours ago

The University of Chicago is establishing a new center on quantum biology and medicine, thanks to a ... More $21 million gift by Thea Berggren.
The University of Chicago has been given a $21 million private donation to establish a new center focused on merging quantum engineering with biology in the search for medical breakthroughs.
The gift is from philanthropist Thea Berggren, who will be recognized by naming the the initiative the Berggren Center for Quantum Biology and Medicine.
'The establishment of the Berggren Center reflects a commitment to a powerful idea: that the deepest scientific insights often emerge when we bring distinct disciplines together in bold new ways,' said University of Chicago President Paul Alivisatos, in a news release. 'Combining quantum engineering with medicine, the work of the center stands to transform our understanding of health and disease.
Housed within the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, the new center will be an interdisciplinary effort that brings together quantum physicists, engineers and clinicians. Those investigators will attempt "to harness the power of quantum engineering — capable of the most sensitive measurements known to science — to peer inside the human body in unprecedented ways."
The goal is to develop new diagnostic tools and therapies that will be more finely tuned, offering the chance of personalized interventions for diseases like cancer. Those goals have recently come within reach because of advances in quantum science that enable very precise measurements of molecular and cellular activity within the human body.
Through the use of quantum sensors, researchers can now observe biochemical activity that has not been detectable via prior imaging techniques, making it possible to translate quantum advances into clinical solutions.
The center will be co-directed by Greg Engel, Professor in the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering and the Department of Chemistry and Julian Solway, the Walter L. Palmer Distinguished Service Professor for Medicine and Pediatrics and the
Director of the university's Institute for Translational Medicine. The pair have previously collaborated on research concerning the use of quantum imaging tools.
'Fusing quantum physics and medicine is no small feat, but it opens the door to tools and discoveries we never thought possible,' said Engel. 'This gift will help unite two very different scientific cultures in a common mission to improve human health.'
The University of Chicago has become a global leader in quantum science and engineering, serving as the hub of the Chicago Quantum Exchange, a multi-partner international effort that is advancing the quantum future.
The University also is part of a research and development ecosystem that includes one of the biggest quantum testbeds in the country; the first U.S. business incubator focused exclusively on quantum; and the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park, which will be built on Chicago's South Side.
The Berggren gift includes both endowed funds and money for current support. It will be used to fund several activities, including fellowships to train interdisciplinary scholars, technical development projects, and conferences brining together scholars in quantum biology and medicine.
'During a visit to the Atacama Desert, I engaged with astronomers from around the world, and all were inspired by how quantum mechanics is shaping the future, said Berggren in the university's announcement. 'That moment sparked a different question: What if we applied the same quantum principles to cellular physiology and pathology? The potential to transform medicine and how we understand and treat disease is extraordinary, and the University of Chicago is the ideal place to bring this vision to life.'