SAN JOSE, California—Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Dr. Priscilla Chan, are investing at least $3 billion over the next decade to prevent, manage and cure diseases by the end of the century.
“By investing in science today, we hope to build a future in which all of our children can live long and rewarding lives,” Chan said in a speech on Wednesday at the University of California, San Francisco’s (UCSF) William J. Rutter Center.
The investment marks the next major philanthropic effort for the couple, who announced in December that they planned to give away 99 percent of their wealth over their lifetime. They formed the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to advance human potential and promote equality that month, but have primarily focused on efforts meant to improve education.
Chan, a pediatrician, said their foundation is contributing $600 million over the next 10 years for a biohub that will bring together scientists, engineers and more from UCSF, UC Berkeley and Stanford University to help tackle major health problems.
Located near UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, the research center will be led by biochemist Dr. Joseph DeRisi and Dr. Stephen Quake, a bioengineering and physics professor at Stanford.
The center will be working on a map of the cells in the human body and an infectious-disease initiative meant to help develop tools to combat illnesses, such as HIV, Ebola and the Zika virus.
Zuckerberg said they also want to focus on tools to help scientists achieve more breakthroughs, including artificial-intelligence software for brain imaging and machine learning to help analyze data about cancer genes.
Their plan is to bring scientists and engineers together, build tools and technology and grow the movement to fund science, he said.
“That doesn’t mean that no one will ever get sick, but it does mean that people should get sick a lot less,” Zuckerberg added.
The couple also tapped Dr. Cori Bargmann, a world-renowned neuroscientist at The Rockefeller University in New York, to lead their science initiative.
Wednesday’s announcement included a star-studded audience and guests, including an appearance from Microsoft Cofounder and philanthropist Bill Gates.
Calling their science initiative a bold and ambitious effort, Gates said Zuckerberg brings his risk-taking and entrepreneurial spirit, while Chan contributes her experience as a pediatrician.
“Their vision and generosity is really inspiring a whole new generation of philanthropists who will do amazing things,” Gates said.
Structured as a limited liability company, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative has invested millions of dollars in start-ups, such as Andela, which trains engineers in Africa, and most recently Byju, an Indian education-technology company that created an app that includes video lessons.
Now their work in curing disease is only beginning. “My heart is full of hope and we’re all eager to get started,” Chan said.