Bridging Science, Community, and Care: A Conversation on the Future of Medical Research and Philanthropy
Synopsis: Recently, the Prebys Foundation hosted a community forum that explored the evolving landscape of medical research funding and its impact on community health. Prebys CEO Grant Oliphant interviewed Dr. Sindy Escobar Alvarez, Program Director for Medical Research at the Doris Duke Foundation, discussing the many important issues facing the field, including equity in research, the role of philanthropy in driving innovation, and many others.
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Conrad Prebys was a longtime supporter of medical research in San Diego. He recognized that philanthropy could use its willingness to take risks and provide flexible and lasting support in ways that many other forms of funding – especially federal funding – often does not.
Philanthropy can also invest in areas that are often overlooked. In 2024, the Prebys Foundation, in partnership with the Science Philanthropy Alliance, launched the Prebys Research Heroes initiative - a $7 million program designed to bring more diverse perspectives into the laboratory to produce ground-breaking medical research. The initiative also seeks to address the critical lack of women and underrepresented groups in leading research positions by offering substantial funding to researchers working on projects that might otherwise go unsupported.
By stepping in to fill a critical funding gap, Prebys and its partners hope to set a new standard for philanthropic support in science—encouraging more inclusive, exploratory, and promising research.
As part of its commitment to advancing trailblazing scientific research, the Prebys Foundation is also connecting with its colleagues in the field to learn more about what other organizations are doing, and to exchange ideas about how philanthropy can strengthen our collective work.
Recently, the Prebys Foundation hosted a community forum that explored the evolving landscape of medical research funding and its impact on community health. Prebys CEO Grant Oliphant interviewed Dr. Sindy Escobar Alvarez, Program Director for Medical Research at the Doris Duke Foundation, discussing the many important issues facing the field, including equity in research, the role of philanthropy in driving innovation, and many others.
Oliphant pointed out that the Duke Foundation has been a significant leader in scientific research philanthropy, noting that the foundation helped provide essential funding that led to the FDA’s approval for using CRISPR technology – which allows scientists to modify genes – to treat patients with sickle cell disease, which disproportionately affects Black patients.
As Dr. Escobar Alvarez, a scientist by training, observed, “It was a moment where our resources met the technology. It was the right place and the right time where we contributed to fundamental knowledge.” That funding led to the development of CASGEVY, the first gene therapy approved for the treatment of sickle cell disease. Before the development of this groundbreaking treatment, patients with sickle cell were forced to endure complicated bone marrow transplants.
In spite of this important victory, Oliphant and Alvarez acknowledged the many challenges that remain in conducting research that benefits people who have often been left behind by medical science. In particular, Dr. Escobar Alvarez cautioned that while this scientific breakthrough was important, issues of affordability and accessibility persist, adding that this treatment costs about $1 million dollars per patient. This led to a broader discussion about the need for philanthropic organizations to consider not just scientific advancement, but also the ability to support work that can be readily implemented, and which will broadly benefit members of the community.
At the center of this debate are the significant inequities facing medical research and healthcare. Dr. Escobar Alvarez highlighted ongoing efforts to change research practices to be more race-conscious, emphasizing the importance of using race and ethnicity data in research while being careful to avoid harmful misconceptions about race in clinical care. Oliphant reflected on what he referred to as “the broken cultural moment that we’re in, where discussions around the around race are volatile in a way that can make it difficult to discuss,” and thus make it even harder to identify solutions.
The importance of community engagement was a recurring theme of the evening. Dr. Escobar Alvarez emphasized how important it is to understand the needs of clinicians and communities, and to orient research efforts accordingly. This point was underscored by questions from the audience, including one from Angelina Renteria, the Chief Operating Officer of the Indian Health Council in Valley Center, who highlighted the complex interplay between race-based research findings and their effect on tribal communities.
Oliphant and Dr. Escobar Alvarez had a lively exchange about the role of philanthropy in engaging with policymakers and shaping the public conversation about health equity. Oliphant, who began his career in philanthropy as a communications expert, noted how important it is to not only share data, but to tell compelling stories based on data in ways that will spur policymakers to action.
As the evening concluded, both speakers painted a vision of the future where philanthropy plays a crucial role in bringing diverse perspectives together, elevating important but traditionally undervalued areas of research, and ensuring that scientific breakthroughs translate into lasting benefits for communities.
Credits:
This is a production of the Prebys Foundation.
Hosted by Grant Oliphant
Co-Hosted by Crystal Page
Co-produced by Crystal Page and Adam Greenfield
Engineered by Adam Greenfield
Production Assistance by Tess Karesky
Video Production by Edgar Ontiveros Medina
Event Photography by Edgar Ontiveros Medina
Recorded at the Salk Institute
The Stop & Talk Theme song was created by San Diego’s own Mr. Lyrical Groove.
Special Thanks to the Science Philanthropy Alliance
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