Iacocca Family Foundation - Research: Research History

RESEARCH HISTORY

In 1981, Lee and Mary Iacocca, who cared deeply about diabetes research and was herself a volunteer for other diabetics, established the Mary K. Iacocca Research Fellowship at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston. This Fellowship is now considered one of the most important research programs at the Joslin. It enables promising young researchers to continue their work on the causes, prevention and cure of diabetes.

1984

THE IACOCCA FOUNDATION
The Iacocca Foundation is founded by Lee Iacocca in memory of his wife, Mary, who passed away after a lifelong battle with diabetes. Primary funding for the Foundation comes from the donation of all royalties from Mr. Iacocca’s autobiographical book, IACOCCA. Mr. Iacocca sits on the Board of Trustees and his daughter, Kathryn, is President.

1985

KATE, LEE & CHRYSLER EMPLOYEE CHRYSLER SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
Established scholarship program for Chrysler employees which will run in conjunction with the Chrysler Corporation Fund Scholarship Program. Recipients must maintain 3.0 or higher GPA.

1986

DR.C. RONALD KAHN JOSLIN DIABETES CENTER
Mary K. Iacocca Chair in Diabetes and Metabolism at Harvard Medical School. This chair will honor a distinguished investigator in the field of diabetes and will advocate teaching and inquiry in the nature and treatment of diabetes and related diseases.

Recipient: C. Ronald Kahn, M.D.
Iacocca Foundation - Continued scholarship program for Chrysler employee which runs in conjunction with the Chrysler Corporation Fund Scholarship Program. Recipients must maintain 3.0 or higher GPA.   

1987

IACOCCA FOUNDATION
Continued scholarship program for Chrysler employees which runs in conjunction with the Chrysler Corporation Fund Scholarship Program. Recipients must maintain 3.0 or higher GPA.
China Diabetes Program - All proceeds remain in China to be used for diabetes research under the China-Mary K. Iacocca Diabetes Research Foundation.   

1988

IACOCCA FOUNDATION
Continued scholarship program for Chrysler employees which runs in conjunction with the Chrysler Corporation Fund Scholarship Program. Recipients must maintain 3.0 or higher GPA.

1989

IACOCCA FOUNDATION
Continued scholarship program for Chrysler employees which runs in conjunction with the Chrysler Corporation Fund Scholarship Program. Recipients must maintain 3.0 or higher GPA.

1990

THE IACOCCA FOUNDATION
Continued scholarship program for Chrysler employees which runs in conjunction with the Chrysler Corporation Fund Scholarship Program. Recipients must maintain 3.0 or higher GPA.
Tulane University  Susan Harling Robinson Fellowship in Diabetes Researc at the Tulane University School of Medicine.

1991

JOSLIN DIABETES CENTER
Mary K. Iacocca Director of the Laboratory of Advanced Genetic Technologies. This fund provides support to Joslin’s research program, 'Diabetes and the Genome,' and funds the Mary K. Iacocca Director of the Laboratory for Advanced Genetic Technologies.

JOSLIN DIABETES CENTER
Conference on Pancreatic Beta-Cell 1991: Gene to Disease

IACOCCA FOUNDATION
 Continued scholarship program for Chrysler employees which runs in conjunction with the CHRYSLER Corporation Fund Scholarship Program. Recipients must maintain 3.0 or higher GPA.

JOSLIN DIABETES CENTER 
Keystone Symposium on Diabetes and Insulin Action grant to further scientific exchange as well as to increase awareness of the Foundation’s involvement in diabetes research.   

1992

IACOCCA FOUNDATION
Continued scholarship program for Chrysler employees which runs in conjunction with the Chrysler Corporation Fund Scholarship Program. Recipients must maintain 3.0 or higher GPA.   

1993

JOSLIN
JOSLIN DIABETES CENTER
Mary K. Iacocca Senior Visiting Research Fellowship: This fund is established through a gift made by the Chrysler Corporation Fund in honor of Lee Iacocca and his considerable philanthropic contributions to funding diabetes research. It is designated solely for fellowships in diabetes research.

JOSLIN DIABETES CENTER
Conference on Vascular Complications of Diabetes Mellitus
Iacocca Foundation  Continued scholarship program for Chrysler employee which runs in conjunction with the Chrysler Corporation Fund Scholarship Program. Recipients must maintain 3.0 or higher GPA.

1994

IACOCCA FOUNDATION
Final year of scholarship program for Chrysler employees which ran in conjunction with the Chrysler Corporation Fund Scholarship Program. 43 scholars maintained a 3.0 or higher cumulative average and graduate through 1994 when the program ended coinciding with Mr. Iacocca’s retirement from Chrysler.

1995

MASS GENERAL HOSPITAL
Mass General Hospital; Dr. Denise Faustman
Foundation funds three-year research program with human diabetic lymphocytes from type I diabetics to see if a pathway for autoreactivity that is interrupted in diabetic mice is similarly interrupted in diabetic humans. This may lead to understanding how and why there is an attack on the islet cells in type I diabetes.

1996

LEHIGH UNIVERSITY
The Iacocca Institute Executive Education program is established at Lehigh University. Its two primary directives are to help industry help itself to be more competitive and to educate a competitive workforce for today and tomorrow.

MASS GENERAL HOSPITAL
Dr. Denise Faustman  Foundation continues three-year program verifying human diabetics have the same protein defects in their lymphocytes. This human project is obligatory to verify the diabetic mouse work reflects human disease and could some day be translated to human disease.

DIABETES RESEARCH INSTITUTE 
Grant to support the “Tolerance Induction using Bone Marrow before Islet Transplantation

1997

UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL
MASS GENERAL HOSPITAL; DR. DENISE FAUSTMAN
Foundation work verifies that human diabetic lymphocytes have a protein defect that exactly mirrors the lymnphocyte defect in diabetic mice. This allows the initiation of logical treatment studies in diabetic mice to see if the disease can be modified.

CITY OF HOPE NAT’L MEDICAL CENTER
Dr. Jerry Nadler  Grant to study prevention of the development of type I diabetes and the ability to reverse diabetes using islet cell transplantation.

UCLA MEDICAL CENTER; DR. WILLA HSUEH
Grant to study how insulin resistance relates to coronary heart disease and hypertension as well as working with insulin sensitizers which can prevent the development of vascular complications - both in type II diabetes.

UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL; DR. ALDO ROSSINI
Research Project: Induction of immune tolerance with the combination of cells & anti-CD40 ligand.  

JOSLIN DIABETES CENTER
Seventh Symposium on Insulin Receptors & Insulin Action   

1998

MASS GENERAL HOSPITAL; DR. DENISE FAUSTMAN
Foundation moves two projects forward in Faustman lab on type I diabetes. Iacocca Foundation initiates 4-year study to attempt to reverse end-stage type I diabetes; human diabetic lymphocyte studies continue to verify human diabetics have same defects as mice.

CITY OF HOPE NAT’L MEDICAL CENTER; DR. JERRY NADLER 
Grant to study prevention of the development of type I diabetes and the ability to reverse diabetes using islet cell transplantation.

UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL; DR. ALDO ROSSINI 
Research Project: Induction of immune tolerance with the combination of cells & anti-CD40 ligand.

UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL; DR. RITA BORTELL 
Career Development Award: Dr. Rita Bortell - studying genetics of autoimmunity; role of venular endothelium in diabetes; tolerance in autoimmunity and islet transplantation.

 UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL; DR. TOM MARKEES
 Postdoctoral Fellowship: Dr. Tom Markees studying genetics of autoimmunity; role of venular endothelium in diabetes; tolerance in autoimmunity and islet transplantation.

1999

DR. GEORGE KING - JOSLIN
JOSLIN DIABETES CENTER; THE MARY K. IACOCCA FELLOWSHIP
This fund is established to bring "highly skilled individuals who are not already in the field of diabetes to work in the field of diabetes to work and study along with senior faculty members at Joslin for one year."

MASS GENERAL HOSPITAL; DR. DENISE FAUSTMAN 
Foundation funds research working with end-stage diabetic mice, a model where no therapeutic interventions have been effective.

UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA; DR. JERRY NADLER 
Grant to study the prevention of immune mediated pancreatic beta cell destruction through gene therapy.

UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL; DR. ALDO A. ROSSINI
First stage human clinical trials in islet transplantation.

THE WHITTIER INSTITUTE; DR. ALBERTO HAYEK
 Grant to study the development of an growing/reproduction of islet cells, in vitro, for transplantation as a cure for type I diabetes.

UCLA MEDICAL CENTER; DR. WILLA HSUEH
Grant to study how insulin resistance relates to coronary hear disease & hypertension as well as working with insulin sensitizers which can prevent the development of vascular complications - both in type II diabetes.

UMASS UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL; DR. ALDO A. ROSSINI
 Research Project: Induction of immune tolerance with the combination of cells & anti-CD40 ligand.

2000

BRIGHAM & WOMEN’S HOSPITAL
MASS GENERAL HOSPITAL; DR. DENISE FAUSTMAN 
Foundation funds research working with lymphocytes in understanding how and why they attack the islet cells in Type I diabetes and how this process can be stopped through cellular pathways. Dr. Faustman at Board meeting announced that the first therapy to reverse end-stage diabetes in the mouse.

MASS EYE & EAR INFIRMARY; DR. JOAN W. MILLER 
Grant to study overcoming diabetic retinopathy through the reversal of leukocyte adhesion, prevention of neovascularization and through the development of new surgical/laser techniques.

UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA; DR, JERRY NADLER
 Grant to study the prevention of immune mediated pancreatic beta cell destruction through gene therapy.

BRIGHAM & WOMENS HOSPITAL; DR. ELLEN SEELY 
Research Award: Studying how diabetic women can have children while minimizing the inherent health risks to both mother and child.

UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL; DR. ALDO A. ROSSINI 
Research Project: Induction of immune tolerance with the combination of cells & anti-CD40 ligand.

UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL; DR. RITA BORTELL
CAREER DEVELOPMENT AWARD: Dr. Rita Bortell — RT6 molecule in Type I diabetes.

LEHIGH UNIVERSITY 
The Global Village for Future Leaders of Business and Industry is developed to bring 75 young business leaders to the Lehigh campus for six weeks each year. These young leaders represent more than 82 countries in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, North and South America and Europe. Through company projects, executive meetings, and interactive courses they gain leadership and entrepreneurial skills, business and industry knowledge, and an understanding of other cultures.

2001

MASS GENERAL HOSPITAL; DR. DENISE FAUSTMAN
Foundation funds research that leads to a top journal publication demonstrating that for the first time end-stage diabetes can be reversed in terminally ill diabetic mice. The therapy for these mice is the first ever to effect a “cure”. The first data showing islet regeneration is Iacocca sponsored research.

BRIGHAM & WOMENS HOSPITAL
Dr. Ellen Seely Research Award studying how diabetic women can have children while minimizing the inherent health risks to both mother and child.

UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL; DR. ALDO A. ROSSINI RESEARCH
Project: Induction of immune tolerance with the combination of cells & anti-CD40 ligand.

UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL; DR. RITA BORTELL CAREER
Development Award: Dr. Rita Bortell — RT6 molecule in type I diabetes.

LEHIGH UNIVERSITY 
3 Global Village scholarships for Future Leaders of Business & Industry & 1 Faculty

MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL 
Diabetes Support   In 2001, the Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School do a press release announcing the first permanent reversal of type I diabetes in a severely diabetic mouse by a new protein approach to disease treatment. Surprisingly the therapy eliminates the need for islet transplantation by revealing the remarkable ability of the formerly diabetic animal to re-grow their pancreas.

MASSACHUSETTS EYE AND EAR INFIRMARY
http://www.meei.harvard.edu
The Iacocca Foundation funds five research fellows at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary to investigate ways to prevent and treat diabetic retinopathy, a leading cause of blindness. A molecule called angiopoietin-1 is demonstrated to prevent and reverse early diabetic retinopathy. These findings were published in the American Journal of Pathology, May 2002.

2002

THE WHITTIER INSTITUTE
MASS GENERAL HOSPITAL; DR. DENISE FAUSTMAN
Foundation sponsored laboratory work continues to expand the discovery of islet regeneration and works to identify what may be the first adult stem cell that can regenerate the pancreas.

DIABETES INSTITUTE FOR IMMUNOLOGY AND TRANSPLANTATION (DIIT)
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA MEDICAL SCHOOL;
DR. DAVID SUTHERLAND 
The Iacocca Foundation supports three Mary K. Iacocca Fellows at the Diabetes Institute for Immunology and Transplantation, directed by David E.R. Sutherland, M.D., Ph.D., to further the DIIT’s approach to minimizing immunosuppressive medications and maximizing the output of insulin producing tissue.

THE WHITTIER INSTITUTE; DR. ALBERTO HAYEK 
Completed study the development of an growing/reproduction of islet cells, in vitro, for transplantation as a cure for type I diabetes.

UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL; DR. ALDO A. ROSSINI
Research Project: Induction of immune tolerance with the combination of cells & anti-CD40 ligand

HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH; DR. WALTER WILLET 
Mary K. Iacocca Fellowship in Molecular Genetics & Nutritional Epidemiology: Study examining whether through changes in lifestyle, people could change their predisposition to obesity, insulin resistance and type II diabetes.

UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL; DR. PHILIP J. DIIORIO
Postdoctoral Fellowship: zebra fish; islet death

JOSLIN DIABETES CENTER; DR. LEO P. KRALL
Symposium: Discovery of Targets and Therapeutics for Prevention and Treatment of Diabetes and Complications

DETROIT INSTITUTE OF OPHTHALMOLOGY 
Symposium: The Eye & The Chip 2002 — for cortical implants to help treat blindness resulting from diabetes - The Iacocca Foundation awards the DIO a major grant to support The Eye and The Chip, a gathering of 35 of the world’s leading experts on the wedding - which will one day occur - between nano-electronics and neuro-biology.

LEHIGH UNIVERSITY
3 Global Village scholarships for Future Leaders of Business & Industry & 1 Faculty

2003

DR. DAVID SUTHERLAND
MASS GENERAL HOSPITAL; DR. DENISE FAUSTMAN 
Working with lymphocytes in understanding how & why they attack the islet cells in type I diabetes and how this process can be stopped through genetics, cellular pathways and gene therapy.

  SCIENCE, publishes Iacocca sponsored data of Dr. Faustman’s discovery of two forms of islet regeneration in end stage diabetic mice.

DIIT - UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA MEDICAL SCHOOL; DR. DAVID SUTHERLAND 
The Iacocca Foundation supports three Mary K. Iacocca Fellows at the Diabetes Institute for Immunology and Transplantation, directed by David E.R. Sutherland, M.D., Ph.D., to further the DIIT’s approach to minimizing immunosuppressive medications and maximizing the output of insulin producing tissue.

JOSLIN DIABETES CENTER
 Symposium: Evading Beta Cell Death in Diabetes: Prevention & Transplantation

UMASS MEDICAL SCHOOL; DR. PHILIP J. DIIORIO
 Postdoctoral Fellowship: zebra fish; islet death

LEHIGH UNIVERSITY
 3 Global Village scholarships for Future Leaders of Business & Industry & administrator/guide.

2004

FRED HUTCHINSIN MASS GENERAL HOSPITAL; DR. DENISE FAUSTMAN
The Iacocca research program at MGH expands the discovery work on islet regeneration and begins the arduous task of developing a human assay to similarly identify these defects in humans for a clinical trial.

FRED HUTCHINSIN CANCER RESEARCH CENTER; DR. LAURENCE LOUBIERE 
Two-Year Grant: Functional Significance of Maternal Microshimeric Cells in Type I diabetes

JOSLIN DIABETES CENTER; DR. AMY WAGERS
 Cellular sources of beta cell replacement with emphasis on bone marrow transplantation for type 1 diabetes.

UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA; DR. SUSAN E. KIRK 
Research address accelerated complications specific to type 1 diabetes and possible role of placental origins growth hormone in those complications of the kidney.

University of Massachusetts Medical School; Dr. Aldo Rossini Islet death in type 1 diabetes may be due to stress and “jamming” of islets with badly folded proteins.

Duke University Medical Center; Dr. Brian Annex Concept that islet health might be related to the associated blood vessels in regards to type 1 diabetes.

Harvard School of Public Health; Dr. Walter Willet Role of inflammatory/stres pathways and FABPs in type 2 diabetes susceptibility.

LEHIGH UNIVERSITY 
3 Global Village scholarships for Future Leaders of Business & Industry.