The School of Medicine has received a $10 million unrestricted gift from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) that will support the transformation of academic knowledge into concrete therapies and treatments. GSK and the School of Medicine announced the gift March 6.

“It’s rare for a drug company to give funds as an unrestricted gift,” said Glen Gaulton, vice dean for research and research training in the School of Medicine. “They are not entitled…to guide the use of the funds, [but] we have a general appreciation internally of what we would like to do with those funds.”

The school’s plan identifies oncology, cardiovascular biology, neuroscience, and stem cells as major fields of research. Gaulton also stated that the grant would allow the school to engage in more joint activities with the drug industry and improve the flow of information between the School of Medicine and drug discovery companies like GSK.

Gaulton added, “[The gift] provides us with the opportunity to give our vision…of what is necessary to generate new therapies.”