The La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology rejected an offer from the University of of Southern California and instead announced Monday an affiliation with UC San Diego.
The institute said the agreement “formalizes and codifies an informal, decades-old relationship built on shared research interests and a long history of successful scientific collaboration.”
The private, influential institute reportedly was courted by USC. Instead, it signed a multi-year agreement with UC San Diego that will facilitate joint faculty appointments, enhance the range and depth of collaboration between the two organizations, and promote closer integration between basic immunology research and clinical medicine.
“For many years, we have enjoyed a cordial and mutually beneficial relationship with UCSD. The reinforcement of our longstanding relationship through a formal agreement is a transformative step for both institutions,” said Mitchell Kronenberg, president and chief scientific officer of the La Jolla Institute.
“We are thrilled that we will be able to leverage shared resources and expertise to redouble our efforts to harness the power of the immune system to fight infection and disease,” he added.
The La Jolla Institute is widely recognized as a leader in immunology research. Discoveries by its scientists have contributed to the understanding of the immune system and laid the groundwork for the development of new vaccines and novel treatments for type 1 diabetes, asthma, cancer, infectious diseases and many other debilitating disorders related to immune system function, such as rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease.