Cedars-Sinai Medical Center ended 2025 on a high note thanks to a $30 million donation to establish a new research center.
The gift – courtesy of the Cayton Goldrich Family Foundation – will fund the creation of the Cedars-Sinai Cayton BRCA Center, billed as the first of its kind in Southern California. The center will facilitate research on the diagnosis and treatment of illnesses linked to mutations in the BCRA1 and BCRA2 genes.
“We can help prevent harmful BRCA mutations from being passed down from carriers to their children and grandchildren and work toward ending the cycle of inherited cancer risk,” said foundation trustee Barry Cayton in a statement.
Approximately one in 400 in the United States carry mutations in their BCRA genes, which increases risks for inherited cancers including breast, ovarian, prostate and pancreatic.
“Our family has personally been affected by BRCA gene mutations,” said foundation trustee Andrea Goldrich Cayton, “so we feel especially compelled to make a transformative mark in the healthcare space linked to holistic BRCA research and care.”
This $30 million donation is just the latest from the foundation to Beverly Grove-based Cedars-Sinai. The foundation in 2019 gifted $10 million to the institution to establish the Jona Goldrich Center for Alzheimer’s and Memory Disorders at Cedars-Sinai.
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The publication OncoDaily in late December recognized billionaire entrepreneur Patrick Soon-Shiong among its 100 Most Influential People in Oncology for 2025.
Soon-Shiong, who is the founder and executive chairman of Culver City-based ImmunityBio Inc., was recognized for his company’s research and development toward the goal of a “cancer-free society.” ImmunityBio has developed and obtained U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of Anktiva, an immunotherapy treatment for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. The company is currently pursuing expanded use authorization for the drug.
With an estimated net worth of $20.8 billion, Soon-Shiong – who also owns the Los Angeles Times and a small stake in the Los Angeles Lakers – is L.A.’s wealthiest resident.
