UCLA Health has received a $2 million commitment to support both dementia and osteoporosis research and accelerate discovery.
The Surjaudaja family, founders of Biotest, one of Indonesia’s oldest laboratory clinics, and Bank OCBC Indonesia (previously known as Bank OCBC NISP), have pledged $1 million to help establish the UCLA Karmaka Surjaudaja Dementia Research Fund in the department of neurology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. The fund will provide key resources to explore genetic risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease.
The family is giving an additional $1 million so that UCLA can establish the UCLA Lelarati Lukman Osteoporosis Research Fund in the department of orthopaedic surgery.
Biotest was founded by Surjaudaja family matriarch Lelarati Lukman in 1980. She was motivated in part by challenges she faced in getting accurate diagnoses and health care for her late husband, Karmaka Surjaudaja.
“This gift will allow the department of neurology to expand studies of Alzheimer’s disease to previously underserved populations,” said Dr. S. Thomas Carmichael, department chair and the Frances Stark Professor of Neurology. “We will test the ability of genetics to predict who will get Alzheimer’s disease using newly developed tests called ‘polygenic risk scores.’ These scores were developed with Caucasian populations of European ancestry. The Surjaudajas’ thoughtful philanthropy enables us to extend this work to other groups to enhance our understanding of Alzheimer’s disease risk and apply that knowledge to new therapies.”
The osteoporosis research fund will primarily support leading-edge investigations into the role of vitamin D in osteoporosis. Skeletal disorders acquired during youth, such as estrogen deficiency with amenorrhea and vitamin D deficiency, commonly seen in young female athletes, markedly increase a woman’s risk for osteoporosis as she ages. Through a screening and monitoring of estrogen and vitamin D levels in UCLA’s female athletes, the research team seeks to gain valuable insights that will inform prevention and treatment options for women earlier in life.
“Osteoporosis is a painful, difficult disease that affects millions of people, especially women, worldwide,” said Dr. Nicholas Bernthal, chair of the department of orthopaedic surgery and the Jeffrey J. Eckardt, M.D., Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery. “With this generous support, we are pioneering a future where osteoporosis is prevented in youth, helping women enjoy longer and healthier lives. We are deeply grateful to the Surjaudaja family for their significant investment in this important area of medicine.”
“As longtime advocates for excellence in health care, my family and I are proud to contribute to these exciting initiatives at UCLA,” said Lelarati Lukman. “The research we have chosen to support has the potential to generate major progress in Alzheimer’s disease and osteoporosis. It is an honor to continue our family’s legacy of innovation and compassion in this most meaningful way.”
UCLA Health does not contract with Biotest for products or services.
