Fox's Ted Gagliano Pledges $1 Mil to UCLA for Brain Cancer Research

Ted Gagliano, president of post-production at 20th Century Fox, has pledged $1 million to support the UCLA Department of Neurosurgery's brain cancer research. Earlier this year, he joined the neurosurgery department's board of advisers and hosted the first annual Golden Portal Awards, benefiting UCLA's Brain Tumor Program.

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Invited by a colleague to attend UCLA's Neurosurgery's 2011 Visionary Ball, Gagliano became interested in the department's operations because one of his closest friends was undergoing surgery to remove a glioblastoma, a fast-growing, lethal brain tumor. At the dinner, patients testified how a UCLA neurosurgeon saved his or her life, and, Gagliano said, "The survivor's personal stories of hope and courage inspired me."

Gaglinao toured researcher Dr. Linda Liau's laboratory, which is developing a vaccine that trains a patient's immune system to recognize and destroy brain cancer cells. His pledge will be used to fund Liau's new approach. "What exites me is the chance to offer cancer patients a promising treatment that gives them hope and makes their lives better," Gagliano said. "That's why I'm fascinated by Dr. Liau's work. She isn't just surgically removing brain tumors; she's looking for new ways to stop them in their tracks for good."

"We are deeply grateful to Mr. Gagliano for his compassion and farsighted vision," Dr. Neil Martin, chairman of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, said.