“You Can’t Cure Anything Unless You Do Basic Science”
$30 Million in Donations
According to Hock Tan and Lisa Yang – the latter, a former investment banker, and the former a CEO of Broadcom Ltd. – “You really can’t cure anything unless you do basic science”. For these two generous philanthropists, that means giving upwards of $30 million in donations to two major universities in order to cure the intellectual scourge known as autism.
Competitive Universities
The two campuses to receive the donations are Cornell University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Lisa Yang and Hock Tan’s alma maters, respectively. Cornell was the first to receive money from the couple, who gave $10 million in 2015 to fund the K. Lisa Yang and Hock E. Tan Employment and Disability Institute. The other $20 million is given to MIT in the hope of spurring on multidisciplinary autism research and help scientists discover the cause and cure for autism.
New Research Center for Autism Research
Strengthening the Practice
The Hock E. Tan and K. Lisa Yang Center for Autism Research, as the new facility at MIT is being called, will allow scientists to work together around a disease that Yang calls “very difficult” and often overlooked. MIT already has an active brain research team that not only works well as a group but also works with others in the greater Boston area. She hopes this donation will only strengthen the practice that is already engaged.
Autism Hits Close to Home
Autism, in particular, is near and dear to both Yang and Tan’s hearts. The couple moved from their home in Singapore to Philadelphia after two of their three children were diagnosed with some form of autism, and the pediatric neurologist at Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia told the family that their oldest son, Douglas, would receive a better education in the United States than overseas. As a result, the couple fully committed to the education of their children, with Douglas attending the prestigious Timothy School, a not-for-profit educational facility in northern Philadelphia that specializes in education for autistic children. Douglas also received services from Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health Center, which focuses on helping autistic children develop social skills and improved behavioral health. The relationship has extended from there to Douglas living in the Devereux group home, and Yang serving on the board of directors.
Second Child on the Spectrum
Daughter Eva
The second child, a daughter named Eva, is on the spectrum of autism but has noticeably fewer symptoms than her older brother. As she got older, she wanted to attend school at nearby Harcum college, but since autistic children are less adept socially, her mother went with her at the beginning in order to boost her confidence and help her understand her classes. Yang said that Eva has “poor auditory processing skills,” but that eventually “She made it.” After a while, Eva had successfully transitioned into college life and Yang was able to “fade out” of her classes. Eva now has a permanent job with SAP through their Autism at Work program.
Third Child NOT on Spectrum
Stand Up to Make a Difference
Though the couple’s third son is not autistic in any way and has a blossoming career as an investment banker in California, it has not cooled the couple’s desire to see autism eradicated in any way possible. This generous financial donation to two of the most prestigious schools in the country is sure to give autism research a boost it so desperately needs.
Yang and Tan also hope that their example will help others get involved in their cause as well, even if they are not personally affected by autism. “People need to stand up, to make a difference,” Yang states. The more attention and resources that are devoted to this “very difficult” disorder, the quicker it can be understood and the quicker it can hopefully be cured.