$23 million from Cary and Will Singleton will support, equip new home for UCI MIND

Irvine, Calif., Oct. 26, 2026 - A $23 million gift from Cary and Will Singleton will help the University of California, Irvine accelerate the search for new ways to understand, treat and, ultimately, prevent Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.

The investment builds on nearly $80 million in philanthropic support announced in 2025 - led by more than $50 million from the Quilter family - that launched plans for Ann Hutchinson Quilter Hall, future home of the UC Irvine Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, also known as UCI MIND.

Of the Singletons' gift, $13 million will support construction of the hall and $10 million will fund advanced MRI and PET scanners. Scheduled for completion in 2029, the facility will bring researchers, clinicians, students, research participants and community programs together to accelerate discovery and improve care.

"Cary and Will Singleton's extraordinary generosity will give our researchers tools and opportunities that can fundamentally change the pace of discovery," said Chancellor Howard Gillman. "We are deeply grateful for their partnership and their remarkable commitment to improving the lives of those affected by dementia."

Seeing the living brain more clearly

The neuroimaging scanners funded by the gift will allow researchers to study the structure, function and biology of the living brain. These technologies enable scientists to identify changes associated with Alzheimer's disease and other brain diseases, follow how those changes develop over time, and assess whether potential treatments are having their intended effects.

Researchers will be able to connect participants' brain images with cognitive assessments, biomarkers, genetics and health history, revealing patterns that would be difficult to discern through a single method alone.

The expanded space and imaging capacity will also support larger and more complex clinical trials, which are essential to determining whether encouraging developments are safe and effective and generating the evidence needed to improve diagnosis, treatment and prevention.

"This gift will allow us to ask more ambitious questions and answer them with greater precision," said Joshua Grill, director of UCI MIND. "By integrating advanced imaging with laboratory science, clinical expertise and the experiences of research participants, we can better understand how dementia develops and accelerate the evaluation of promising approaches to stop it."

Collaboration as a catalyst

When the Singletons first learned about UCI MIND, they were particularly drawn to its collaborative model and ability to bring different forms of expertise to a problem too complex for any one researcher or discipline to solve.

"We recognize the importance of the collaborative approach UCI MIND takes," Cary Singleton said. "The institute's reputation for excellence, as well as the outstanding people who direct the program, was key to our decision to get involved."

UCI MIND unites more than 70 faculty members across 25 academic departments, connecting laboratory research with longitudinal studies, clinical trials and community engagement.

Its Alzheimer's Disease Research Center operates through 10 collaborative cores spanning clinical research, neuropathology, biomarkers, data science, community outreach, and studies of populations including the oldest old and people with Down syndrome.

This cross-disciplinary structure differentiates UC Irvine, allowing scientists to approach dementia from multiple directions and translate insights across fields.

A record of distinction and discovery

For more than four decades, UC Irvine has advanced research into Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.

UCI MIND is home to one of only 35 Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers funded by the National Institute on Aging - and one of just 10 in California. Furthermore, it's the sole center with this designation in Orange County, recognizing UC Irvine's scientific leadership, research infrastructure and ability to translate discoveries into better diagnoses, treatment and care.

UC Irvine researchers created the first Alzheimer's disease mouse model to develop both plaques and tangles, now used by more than 150 scientists in over 20 countries. UCI MIND also established the first federally funded induced pluripotent stem cell core in the national Alzheimer's Disease Research Center network.

It has produced internationally recognized work on the oldest old, research on the connection between Down syndrome and Alzheimer's disease, clinical trials, and numerous programs training the next generation of clinicians and scientists.

Recent investments reflect the strength of this work. In 2025, UCI MIND received an $18 million, five-year National Institute on Aging grant to lead a multicenter study of limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy, an underrecognized form of dementia that can mimic Alzheimer's disease. The study will establish the nation's first trial-ready group of patients with LATE, improve diagnosis during life and lay the groundwork for future clinical trials. The award followed a $21 million renewal supporting UCI MIND's Alzheimer's Disease Research Center.

Philanthropy in partnership

The Orange County Community Foundation helped facilitate the gift through the Singletons' donor-advised fund at OCCF. CEO Shelley Hoss, M.B.P.A. '87, said the foundation was pleased to connect the couple's philanthropic goals with UC Irvine's research strengths.

"It's a privilege to help donors translate their philanthropic passion into lasting impact," Hoss said. "This gift reflects Cary and Will's hope for meaningful advances in dementia research and the power of connecting generous people with institutions equipped to pursue solutions to our community's greatest challenges."

Added Will Singleton: "We would like to see significant progress made in the understanding of the causes of the various forms of dementia and its eventual prevention."

The Singletons' gift goes a long way toward completing and equipping Ann Hutchinson Quilter Hall, but additional philanthropic backing remains essential for construction, research technology, clinical trials, faculty expansion, training and community programs.

"Scientific advancement depends on people willing to share their expertise, participate in research and invest in possibilities that may benefit generations to come," Grill said. "With the Singletons' support and the continued partnership of our community, we are creating the environment needed to accelerate discoveries with the potential to change the future of dementia."

To learn more about supporting UCI MIND and Ann Hutchinson Quilter Hall, contact Sonia Batra at [email protected].

About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UC Irvine is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities and is ranked among the nation's top 10 public universities by U.S. News & World Report. The campus has produced five Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UC Irvine has more than 36,000 students and offers 224 degree programs. It's located in one of the world's safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County's second-largest employer, contributing $7 billion annually to the local economy and $8 billion statewide. For more on UC Irvine, visit www.uci.edu.