Irvine, Calif., July 14, 2006 -- Peter Jackson, Academy Award-winning director of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, and writer/producer Fran Walsh, have donated $311,000 to UC Irvine to fund the work of up-and-coming stem cell scientists. The funds will by directed by Hans Keirstead, associate professor of anatomy and neurobiology and a pioneer in the use of human embryonic stem cells in the treatment of spinal cord injuries.
The donation will establish the Bill and Joan Jackson Scholars Fund, named after Jackson's parents, and support the stem cell research of two students for four years each. In recent years, both Jackson and Walsh have lost loved ones to Parkinson's disease and cancer, which in turn sparked their interest in stem cell research and the hope it offers for treating and ultimately curing such diseases.
"This is an incredibly exciting time in medicine," Jackson said. "Stem cell therapy has the potential to treat a multitude of diseases and illnesses, which up until now have been labeled 'incurable.' It has the capacity to exponentially improve the quality of life for those who currently suffer from spinal cord injury, diabetes, Parkinson's disease, and many other debilitating medical conditions.
"I believe continuing advances in stem cell medicine will change all of our lives for the better," he added. "Fran and I are very happy to offer whatever assistance we can to help Dr. Keirstead progress his research."
Jackson is one of Hollywood's most well-known and respected directors. A native New Zealander, his "Lord of the Rings" trilogy earned 17 Academy Awards combined, which included three for Jackson and three for Walsh. They also collaborated on the remake of "King Kong" that was released in 2005. Their next project is an adaptation of UCI alumna Alice Sebold's novel "The Lovely Bones."
"I am immensely grateful to Peter and Fran for their support of this important research," Keirstead said. "Curren
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Contact: Farnaz Khadem
fkhadem@uci.edu
949-824-5484
University of California - Irvine
14-Jul-2006