Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute

The Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute (also referred to as the Chen Institute or TCCI) is a non-profit institute founded by husband and wife Tianqiao Chen and Chrissy Luo with the aim of supporting study into the human brain. In 2016 the couple committed US$1 billion to support the institute’s work,[2] which focuses on research in three core areas – brain discovery, brain treatment and brain development. Towards that end, the institute supports interdisciplinary research concerning neuroscience, particularly research on brain mechanics, perception,[3] and the impact of perception on behavior and well-being.[4]

Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute
Formation2016
FounderTianqiao Chen and Chrissy Luo
TypeNon-profit institute
Legal statusActive
PurposeSupporting fundamental brain research and development
HeadquartersMenlo Park, California
Region
United States, China
MethodsEndowments and educational programs
FieldsNeuroscience
Executive director
David Tan[1]
AffiliationsZhou Liangfu Foundation, Caltech, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Mental Health Center
Endowment (2016)$1 billion
Websitecheninstitute.org

History

Background

The Chen Institute was founded by Chrissy and Tianqiao Chen, both philanthropists known for co-founding the Chinese conglomerate Shanda Group in 1999.[2][5] They decided to create the Chen Institute to fund various brain-related research initiatives and institutions,[6] citing a project by Caltech scientist David J. Anderson as being particularly inspirational. Upon seeing Richard A Andersen's, who along with David J. Anderson directs part of T&C Chen Institute, mind-machine brain interface help a quadriplegic use thoughts to control a robotic arm on television,[7] they flew from Singapore to Caltech in Pasadena, California to meet Anderson in person.[2] The couple subsequently set aside $1 billion to donate to related efforts[6] on brain-related treatment,[7] as well as research and development.[8] They then spent two years researching possible partners.[9]

In March 2017, the Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute announced a plan to annually donate around $100 million each year. With the goal of "[passing] the ball to whoever is closest to the goal," new proposals from universities would be gauged for at least a year each, and after that point, money would be donated to scientists directly.[10]

Caltech institute

In its first donation,[10][11] on December 8, 2016 it was announced that the Chen Institute was donating $115 million to fund the formation of the Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience at Caltech.[8] The Chens stated that they selected Caltech as the first recipient because of the school's entrepreneurial and interdisciplinary approach to the field.[10] The $115 million Caltech donation resulted in some controversy in Chinese academia, with arguments made that the donations would have been more beneficial to a Chinese university. Other academics defended the donation on the grounds that Chinese universities were often less transparent,[12][13] noting that the Chens had previously withheld gifts to Chinese institutions when they refused to provide usage reports.[8]

The funds were set aside to establish the new institute's building and provide Caltech with continuous resources for neuroscience research, with direction of that research to be decided by the university.[14] It was announced that the upcoming building would serve as the administrative center for the Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience,[15] and house five interdisciplinary research centers[9] which together formed "the core of the Chen Institute."[2] The university explained that the research complex[16] would combine "biology, engineering, chemistry, physics, computer science and the social sciences to tackle brain function in an integrated, comprehensive way."[2]

In August 2017, it was announced that David J. Anderson would serve as director of the Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience. Also that month, plans for the new Caltech building were heard by the design commission of Pasadena.[9] The groundbreaking of the Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Neuroscience Research Building took place in December 2017. With construction to begin in January 2018, the opening was scheduled for the fall of 2020.[15]

Shanghai institute

In November 2017, the Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute announced that $80 million would fund The Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Brain Disease (Shanghai). The nonprofit brain disease institute was formed as a partnership with Huashan Hospital in Shanghai, which in turn is affiliated with Fudan University,[5] and Zhou Liangfu Foundation.[17] The institute announced a focus on international collaboration and brain disease research,[18] with plans to study "brain tumors, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, depression and other brain ailments."[5]

In June 2018, the institute announced that it was partnering with the Shanghai Mental Health Center to fund the study of mental illness.[19]

Areas of focus and mission

The Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute[14][17] is interested in three core areas: brain discovery, brain treatment, and brain development.[3] In particular, the institute aims to support fundamental brain research with a focus on "understanding the sensation-perception mechanisms and related systems of memory, attention, learning and expectations."[3] The institute's stated goal is to fund universities and institutions in forms such as endowed institutes,[9] grants for researchers,[10] professorships, or "topic-specific programs" for scientists.[3]

Co-founder Tianqiao Chen has explained that "the key of [the institute's] philanthropy vision" is furthering understanding of perception, arguing that such research would help people master negative emotions.[14] According to Chen, “for thousands of years, we improved our happiness through changing the physical world. We now have to solve this problem by exploring inward.[4]

Programs and institutions
  • The Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Neuroscience at Caltech[9]
  • The T&C Chen Brain-Machine Interface Center[9]
  • The T&C Chen Center for Social and Decision Neuroscience[9]
  • The T&C Chen Center for Systems Neuroscience[9]
  • The Center for Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience[9]
  • The Caltech Brain Imaging Center[9]
  • The Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Brain Disease (Shanghai)[17]

Research and recognition

Since its inception, researchers at the Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute at Caltech have published work on topics such as aiding paralyzed patients feel sensation,[20] the neural processes associated with fear,[21] deciphering how the brain manages thirst,[22] the mechanisms behind memory recollection,[23] the neural codes for body movements, and others.[24]

A number of Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute researchers have received awards for their work. Institute researchers at Huashan Hospital, for example, received two National Science and Technology Awards in 2017 for their work on “Basic and Clinical Innovation Methods for Cerebral Fluid Through Surgery.”[25]

Documentary

The institute commissioned the documentary Minds Wide Open, which aired on the Discovery Channel[26] in 2018. An hour long, according to Barron's it "builds a case for why scientists need to focus on very basic questions of how the brain works and gives special attention to several young scientists who are on the verge of breakthroughs."[27] The film won Gold Awards in the 2018 Cannes Corporate Media & TV Award film categories of medical, educational, and science and technology.[26]

References
  1. "Our Team", Chen Institute
  2. "How a mind-controlled robotic arm paved the way for Caltech's new neuroscience institute", Los Angeles Times, Dec 6, 2016
  3. "Focus Vision Cornerstone Partnerships" - Chen Institute
  4. "The Mysterious Case of the Missing Internet Billionaire" - Bloomberg - Yoolim Lee - August 15, 2017
  5. Kerry Dolan, "With A New Gift, Chinese Games Billionaire Takes Step To Treat Brain Diseases", Forbes, Nov 2, 2017
  6. "Why Chinese billionaire Tianqiao Chen transitioned from investing in video games to CHS, neuroscience" - Becker's Hospital Review - Alyssa Rage - August 17, 2017
  7. "China’s Rising Philanthropy Presents the Next Big Brain Science Donor" - Inside Philanthropy -Tate Williams - December 13, 2016
  8. "Chinese Donors Step Up Giving to American Universities" - The Chronicle of Higher Education - Mimi Leung - December 21, 2016
  9. "Design Commission Hears Details of Major New Caltech Research Center" - Pasadena Now - August 7, 2017
  10. Qian Tongxin, "Shanda Group's Chen Tianqiao Reveals Plans for Funding Brain Science Research After Caltech Donation", YiCai Global, May 2, 2017
  11. "Chinese investor in CHS donates $115 million for brain research" - Modern Healthcare - Dave Barkholz - December 7, 2016
  12. "Should Chinese Billionaires Donate Overseas?" - Beijing Review - Chris Surtees - January 5, 2017
  13. "Are Chinese donations to US college unpatriotic?" - China Daily - December 24, 2016
  14. Jeevan Vasagar, "Chinese donors fund studies into acceptance of death", The Financial Times, Dec 6, 2016
  15. "Billionaire-Backed Brain Research Center Breaks Ground at Caltech" - Pasadena Now - Brandon Villalovos - December 6, 2017
  16. "CHS' largest shareholder donates $115M to Caltech for brain research" - Becker's Hospital Review - Ayla Ellison - December 8, 2016
  17. Kerry Dolan, "TCCI Awards $75.7 Million for Shanghai Brain Disease Institute", Philanthropy News Digest, Nov 4, 2017
  18. "TCCI Establishes the Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute for Brain Disease (Shanghai) in Partnership with Huashan Hospital and Zhou Liangfu Foundation" - Chen Institute - November 2, 2017
  19. "Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute Signs Agreement with Shanghai Mental Health Center" - Chen Institute - June 6, 2018
  20. "Paralyzed Patient Feels Sensation Again" - Caltech - April 10, 2018
  21. "You Don't Think Your Way Out of a Tiger Attack" - Caltech - March 5, 2018
  22. "Hierarchical neural architecture underlying thirst regulation" - Macmillan Publishers Limited - 2018
  23. "New Caltech Research Provides Insight into How the Brain Works to Recall Memories" - Pasadena Now - Lori Dajose - December 19, 2017
  24. "The Neural Codes for Body Movements" - Caltech - July 20, 2017
  25. "TCCI Researchers Win Two National Science & Technology Progress Awards" - Chen Institute - January 9, 2018
  26. "Minds Wide Open Documentary Showcases a Hopeful Future for Brain Science" - Chen Institute - 2018
  27. Barron's accessed November 13, 2019
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