By 2030, more than 73 million Americans will pass the age of 65. Two-thirds of them will suffer from two or more chronic diseases; creating a public health challenge dubbed “the 2030 problem.”
Pharmaceutical companies are racing to develop expensive drugs and treatments to address the chronic ailments faced by an aging population in the United States and abroad. Meanwhile, researchers in the field of public health are exploring ways that chronic diseases might be better managed and prevented through healthcare, biotech, and med tech innovations.
That is why the UC Berkeley School of Public Health (Berkeley Public Health) is launching the new Berkeley Center for Health Innovations and Entrepreneurship. With a $10 million gift from the Qianlong Holding Group, the new center will serve as a hub to bring together faculty from across the UC Berkeley campus—along with innovators and entrepreneurs from around the globe — to create solutions for the health problems faced by an aging population.
“We are proud to give this Center sustainable funding to increase human wellbeing and prosperity.” said Eric Huang, principal at Qianlong Holding Group, a privately-owned group actively engaged in investment-making globally, especially in Asia.
“Berkeley Public Health — the only public health school within arm’s reach of Silicon Valley — is uniquely positioned to facilitate transdisciplinary and industry partnerships in biotech, medtech, and healthcare to accelerate health innovations for the public good,” said Michael C. Lu, dean of the UC Berkeley School of Public Health. “We are tremendously grateful for this opportunity generously presented by Qianlong Holding Group.”
The new center will accelerate health innovations by:
- Facilitating the exchange of knowledge between academia and industry to help accelerate innovations in biotech, medtech, and healthcare that contribute to social good.
- Identifying strategic collaboration opportunities with industry and other partners — including those in the U.S. and Asia — that advance Berkeley Public Health’s mission of improving population health with an emphasis on improving the prevention and management of chronic diseases.
- Building Berkeley Public Health’s capacity in key areas related to biotech, medtech, and life sciences innovation, such as applied AI, digital health, and regulatory science.
- Providing resources and opportunities for students to be engaged in developing healthcare innovations taking place in the public and private sectors.