Huntington Medical Research Institutes

11/29/2025

🧠 “This program strengthened my problem-solving skills, helped me connect knowledge with real-world applications, and prepared me for future studies and a career in science and healthcare.” — David, HMRI High School STEM Student

👨‍🔬 For David, HMRI's STEM Program offered something he couldn’t get in a traditional classroom. He didn’t just learn new laboratory techniques — he saw how science comes alive through experimentation, collaboration, and real research challenges.

🧪 David’s experience shows how access to experiences in research environments and laboratories can change a student’s trajectory. Programs like this give young scholars the opportunity to explore their interests, gain meaningful guidance, and build the foundation for future academic and professional success.

💙 This Giving Tuesday, you can help more students discover their passion for science and take meaningful steps toward STEM careers.

✨ Gifts through Dec 2 will directly support hands-on STEM learning for students who may not otherwise have opportunities to explore biomedical research laboratories.

🔗 Donate now and help inspire tomorrow’s scientists. With a $2,500 match available, your gift can make twice the impact! 👉 https://bit.ly/Give_2025

11/28/2025

🔬 “Not only have I learned more about science, but I've made connections that can give me opportunities in the future. If I could come back next year I would.”” — Makena, HMRI High School STEM Student

🧬 Makena’s experience shows how transformative HMRI's STEM Program can be. Students step into real research environments, strengthen their scientific curiosity, and build relationships that can shape their future paths in STEM.

✨ Opportunities and experiences like these are only possible because of the generosity and support of our donors.

💙 This Giving Tuesday, you can help open doors for the next generation of scientists.

🧪 Gifts through Dec 2 directly support hands-on STEM learning for students who may not otherwise have access to experiences in biomedical research laboratories.

🔗 Donate now and help spark a lifelong passion for science, and with a $2,500 match available, your gift can make twice the impact! 👉https://bit.ly/Give_2025

11/26/2025

✨ “This program is the best thing I could have done with my summer!” — Willow, HMRI High School STEM Student

🧪 During her 6-week experience in HMRI - Huntington Medical Research Institutes' High School STEM Program, Willow practiced real lab techniques like pipetting using gels, worked closely with our instructors and mentors, and discovered just how excited she is about a future career in science.

🔬 Stories like Willow’s are why our STEM education programs matter. When students step into our labs, they gain knowledge, skills, and the confidence that they belong in science.

💙 Your Giving Tuesday gift helps make this possible.

🥼 Donations through Dec 2 directly support hands-on STEM learning for students who may not otherwise have access to experiences in biomedical research laboratories.

🔗 Donate now and help spark a lifelong passion for science, and with a $2,500 match available, your gift can make twice the impact! 👉 https://bit.ly/Give_2025

11/25/2025

💙 Giving Tuesday is next week!

🥼 At HMRI, our STEM education programs give high school and college students the chance to step into real research labs, build hands-on skills, and discover a future for themselves in science.

🧪 This year, 96% of students said they’re “very likely” to pursue a STEM career after their experience at HMRI — a result made possible by supporters who believe in them.

🔬 You can help spark the next young scientist’s journey. Gifts made now through December 2 support HMRI’s STEM education programs and fuel opportunities that change lives! All gifts to this campaign are also being matched up to $2,500!

🔗 Donate today at: https://bit.ly/Give_2025

11/13/2025

Scientific progress now depends as much on financial imagination as on intellectual vision. With research costs rising and federal budgets flat, panelists debated how to sustain discovery through philanthropy, institutional risk-taking, and new public-private models.

“The successful medical institutions today are those who nurture and invest in their own discoveries before going to industry.” — Dr. Shlomo Melmed

“Six-hundred-thousand donors across the country—check by check, person by person—make it possible to get early investigators over the hump to independent funding.” — Dr. Scott Kaiser

“Industry will fund only once the science is de-risked. That’s why sustaining fundamental research—often decades before translation—matters so much.” — Dr. Angelika Niemz

Can new funding models keep discovery moving forward when traditional ones stall?

🎥 Watch The Future of American Science: https://youtu.be/Gg5o4AnfzxU

Cedars-Sinai BrightFocus Foundation Keck Graduate Institute Pacific Neuroscience Institute

On November 6, 2025, Dr. Julia Bradsher convened a panel of distinguished speakers to discuss the Future of American Science. From left to right, the panel i...

11/12/2025

Curiosity built American science— and it’s the one thing we can’t automate.

Panelists confronted a question that cuts to the heart of our future: are we still cultivating intellectual hunger in the next generation of researchers?

“We’ve created a generation of TikTok thinkers. If the individual student lacks curiosity, we’re not going to succeed.” — Dr. Shlomo Melmed

“I don’t think our students are too stupid to learn. I think sometimes we’re too stupid to teach. We need to prepare them for the real world—and let them fail safely while they’re still learning.” — Dr. Angelika Niemz

“We’ve extended lifespan by thirty years—but not necessarily health span. That gap makes scientific curiosity and innovation more urgent than ever.” — Dr. Scott Kaiser

“We don’t ask ‘why’ enough anymore. That’s the foundation of curiosity.” — Dr. Julia Bradsher

How do we make scientific careers curiosity-driven again?
🎥 Watch HMRI’s Future of American Science discussion: https://youtu.be/Gg5o4AnfzxU

Cedars-Sinai Keck Graduate Institute BrightFocus Foundation

On November 6, 2025, Dr. Julia Bradsher convened a panel of distinguished speakers to discuss the Future of American Science. From left to right, the panel i...

11/11/2025

Trust may be the most endangered resource in American science.

Innovation is accelerating, but confidence in science is not. At HMRI’s Future of American Science panel, we examined what it will take to rebuild trust in an era defined by AI, misinformation, and exponential data.

“We’ve got to reinforce trust in science and medicine—and in facts. In this era of relative truth, that’s the real challenge.” — Dr. Scott Kaiser

“If we allow these things to slip, it’s a huge detriment to science. AI can be a powerful tool, but it can also fabricate sources and erode integrity if unchecked.” — Dr. Angelika Niemz

“There are now AI-driven peer-review mills where you can pay for a good review. It’s a huge problem—and it’s eroding credibility.” — Dr. Shlomo Melmed

How can science protect both its speed and its soul?

🎥 Watch the full discussion: https://youtu.be/Gg5o4AnfzxU

Cedars-Sinai Keck Graduate Institute BrightFocus Foundation Pacific Neuroscience Institute

On November 6, 2025, Dr. Julia Bradsher convened a panel of distinguished speakers to discuss the Future of American Science. From left to right, the panel i...

11/10/2025

Artificial intelligence is changing the practice of medicine faster than policy—or ethics—can keep up.

“We now have an AI program that listens to the doctor and patient, writes the note, even orders the medication. The question is—where does that data go?” — Dr. Shlomo Melmed

“People give up privacy every day for convenience—but healthcare is the last frontier.” — Dr. Scott Kaiser

“There’s collaboration between the FDA and the scientific community—but the frameworks still don’t keep up with the pace of innovation.” — Dr. Angelika Niemz

⚖️ How should medicine balance innovation, privacy, and the human touch?

Watch HMRI’s Future of American Science panel discussion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gg5o4AnfzxU

Cedars-Sinai Keck Graduate Institute BrightFocus Foundation Pacific Neuroscience Institute

On November 6, 2025, Dr. Julia Bradsher convened a panel of distinguished speakers to discuss the Future of American Science. From left to right, the panel i...

11/06/2025

It’s happening tonight! Join us at 6 PM for The Future of American Science — a free community event at HMRI’s Engemann Family Auditorium.

Hear from leading voices in science and medicine as they explore how the U.S. can stay at the forefront of discovery amid rapid change.

Featuring Dr. Shlomo Melmed (Cedars-Sinai), Dr. Scott Kaiser (Pacific Neuroscience Institute & BrightFocus Foundation), and Dr. Angelika Niemz (Keck Graduate Institute). Moderated by HMRI President & CEO Dr. Julia Bradsher.

Free admission, open to all.

📍 Huntington Medical Research Institutes, Pasadena

American science is at a turning point.

Join us Thursday, Nov 6 at 6 PM for The Future of American Science—a free public conversation on how the U.S. can sustain leadership in discovery amid rapid change.

Featuring Dr. Shlomo Melmed, Dr. Scott Kaiser, and Dr. Angelika Niemz, moderated by HMRI President & CEO Dr. Julia Bradsher.

🧠 Free registration link in the first comment.

11/04/2025

American science is at a turning point.

Join us Thursday, Nov 6 at 6 PM for The Future of American Science—a free public conversation on how the U.S. can sustain leadership in discovery amid rapid change.

Featuring Dr. Shlomo Melmed, Dr. Scott Kaiser, and Dr. Angelika Niemz, moderated by HMRI President & CEO Dr. Julia Bradsher.

🧠 Free registration link in the first comment.

10/24/2025

We’re excited to welcome Dr. Angelika Niemz to The Future of American Science on November 6 at Huntington Medical Research Institutes (HMRI)!

Dr. Niemz currently serves as Dean of the Henry E. Riggs School of Applied Life Sciences at Keck Graduate Institute (KGI), where she has helped shape the next generation of scientists and innovators for more than 20 years.

At KGI, Dr. Niemz has led pioneering programs in medical diagnostics, biomarker discovery, and biotechnology education—bridging chemistry, engineering, and translational research. Her work has been supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Department of Defense, and she has been deeply committed to expanding access to research experiences for students at all levels. She has also organized KGI’s NSF-funded summer undergraduate research program and helped develop K–12 outreach initiatives that connect young learners with real-world science. Dr. Niemz earned her PhD in chemistry from UMass Amherst and conducted postdoctoral research in chemical engineering at Caltech before joining KGI in 2002.

Dr. Niemz’s perspective—as both a scientist and an educator advancing interdisciplinary innovation—will bring a valuable dimension to the conversation with Dr. Shlomo Melmed , Dr. Scott Kaiser, and Dr. Julia Bradsher as they explore the future of American science.

Event Details:
📅 Date: Thursday, November 6
🕕 Time: 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
📍 Location: 686 S Fair Oaks Ave, Pasadena, CA 91105

This event is free but seating is limited.
🔗 Register here to reserve your spot 👉 https://f.mtr.cool/rvdtmdeqco

10/20/2025

We’re pleased to share that Dr. Scott Kaiser will join Dr. Shlomo Melmed and Dr. Julia Bradsher for The Future of American Science at Huntington Medical Research Institutes (HMRI) on November 6.

A family physician, geriatrician, and public-health advocate, Dr. Kaiser serves as CEO and co-founder of Determined Health and sits on the Board of Directors of BrightFocus Foundation, one of the nation’s leading private funders of Alzheimer’s and vision research. In his role as Director of Geriatric Cognitive Health at the Pacific Neuroscience Institute, and adjunct faculty member at USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, Dr. Kaiser explores how scientific discovery can inform healthier, more connected aging.

His perspective—linking neuroscience, social connection, and philanthropy—will be a critical addition to the expertise of Dr. Melmed and Dr. Bradsher as they examine the future of American science.

Event Details:
📅 Date: Thursday, November 6
🕕 Time: 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
📍 Location: 686 S Fair Oaks Ave, Pasadena, CA 91105

This event is free but seating is limited.
🔗 Register here: https://shorturl.at/qjgkd