IRVINE, Calif. — UC Irvine launched the nation’s first institute to formally unite multiple academic schools around depression research, the university announced today. The Noel Drury, M.D. Institute for Translational Depression Discoveries held its launch event June 9 at the Beckman Center in Irvine, bringing together researchers, clinicians, and community partners to advance the understanding, treatment, and prevention of depression.
The institute draws from across UCI’s academic divisions — medicine, engineering, biological sciences, public health, and social ecology — making it unique among depression research centers in the country.
It was established through a $55 million gift from the estate of philanthropist Audrey Steele Burnand.
Founding director Diego Pizzagalli, Ph.D., said the cross-disciplinary model gives UCI a structural advantage in the field. “UC Irvine is set to be at the forefront of this research because of our distinctive collaborative nature,” he said at the launch event.
The institute’s goals include developing personalized treatments, training the next generation of researchers and clinicians, and improving outcomes for the millions of people affected by depression worldwide.
The Noel Drury, M.D. Institute for Translational Depression Discoveries is a research institute at the UCI. It was established with a major gift (reportedly $55 million) and named in honor of Noel Drury, a former UCI assistant clinical professor of psychiatry and board-certified psychiatrist. Led by founding director Diego A. Pizzagalli, PhD, the institute focuses on advancing the understanding of depression’s biological origins, developing personalized treatments and prevention strategies, and translating scientific discoveries into real-world improvements in mental health care and societal well-being.
The Beckman Center (full name: Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center of the National Academies of Sciences and Engineering) is a premier conference and meeting facility in Irvine, California. Located at 100 Academy Way adjacent to the UCI campus, it was established in 1988 through a gift from the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation and land donated by The Irvine Company. It serves as the West Coast hub for the National Academies, hosting scientific, technological, engineering, and medical conferences, workshops, and programs in state-of-the-art facilities on a scenic seven-acre hilltop site.
The University of California, Irvine (known locally as UCI) is a public research university and one of the ten campuses of the University of California system, located in Irvine, California. Founded in 1965, it has grown into a major R1 research institution with more than 36,000 students, offering 87 undergraduate and 129 graduate/professional degrees across 15 schools, and is consistently ranked among the top 10 public universities in the U.S. Known for academic excellence, innovation, and significant economic impact (around $8 billion annually in California), UCI emphasizes bold research, particularly in fields like health sciences, engineering, and environmental science.
Image credit: UC Irvine
