$23 Million From Cary and Will Singleton Will Support, Equip New Home for UCI MIND

“We recognize the importance of the collaborative approach UCI MIND takes. The institute’s reputation for excellence, as well as the outstanding people who direct the program, was key to our decision to get involved,” says Cary Singleton, here with Will Singleton. Photo courtesy of Cary and Will Singleton

• A $23 million gift from Cary and Will Singleton will accelerate UC Irvine’s efforts to understand, treat and, ultimately, prevent Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
• The funding includes $13 million for Ann Hutchinson Quilter Hall, the future home of UCI MIND, and $10 million for advanced MRI and PET scanners to expand research and clinical trial capabilities.
• The investment builds on UC Irvine’s four-plus decades of leadership in dementia research and the nearly $80 million in philanthropic support announced in 2025.

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.”

Read the full press release at UC Irvine News.