Grateful Patients Support Education of ‘Rock Stars of the Future’
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The next generation of health care is made possible by empowering students to push the boundaries of innovation and scientific discovery.
Grateful patients A. Gary and Anita Klesch help make the future a reality. Their philanthropy, which supports predoctoral fellows in Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, combines their passions of educating students and uncovering new solutions.
“When Gary met the team from the Center for Regenerative Medicine, he came back to me and said, ‘I just met the rock stars of the future,’” says Anita, who holds a Ph.D. in art history. “He was so animated, excited about this research. It was a wonderful opportunity for us to be part of the future.”
Training for the Future
Regenerative medicine, which harnesses the body’s natural ability to heal, is addressing unmet needs of people with chronic and complex conditions who often have no other options. Because of the science’s immense potential to transform medicine for decades to come, the Mayo Clinic Center for Regenerative Medicine has created a powerful approach to develop treatments, deliver them to patients and train the next generation of experts who will advance regenerative therapies.
“These are students that are very passionate. It’s hard to deny someone’s passion when they’re prepared to put it all on the line to find new solutions,” Gary says. “What we see here is so refreshing. We see excitement and people driven to find solutions. Their work is moving so fast that we can’t even keep up.”
Expanding Opportunities
Gary and Anita understand the drive to follow a passion firsthand. A titan in international business, Gary founded and chairs the Klesch Group, a successful global industrial commodity firm whose work spans investment, operational optimization and risk mitigation. Anita is an honorary research fellow at the Vasari Research Centre in the Department of History of Art for Birkbeck, University of London.
Their business and humanities acumen come together when imagining a better future for the world. And, it was the Klesches’ visionary generosity that expanded opportunities for regenerative medicine education at Mayo Clinic. In recognition of their support, Mayo Clinic honors the Klesches as Distinguished Benefactors.
“I did a lot of investigating before we settled on Mayo Clinic,” Gary says. “It was really the total package. After being at Mayo Clinic as a patient, we knew we wanted to associate ourselves, our family, with the best care available, so we decided to give back.”
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