In February 2019, UCLA announced that the comedian’s will had left $15.2 million to the David Geffen School of Medicine to support medical research. Garry Shandling spent much of his career entertaining audiences, but his own experiences with illness also shaped his legacy. The bequest established four funds covering three specialized fields and broader medical research.
UCLA reported that Shandling appreciated the doctors who treated him and was concerned about others living with similar conditions. Shandling’s interest in endocrine health was connected to his treatment for hyperparathyroidism at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. The condition occurs when the parathyroid glands produce too much parathyroid hormone, which can cause calcium levels in the blood to rise. His experience gave him a direct understanding of the challenges faced by patients dealing with endocrine disorders. His experience helped shape the focus of part of his bequest, extending support to research that could benefit patients facing comparable health problems. His estate directed the gift toward several areas of medicine rather than limiting it to the specialty associated with his own treatment. The resulting funds reflected both his connection to endocrine care and a broader commitment to medical research. Three supported specific research areas: the Garry Shandling Endocrine Surgery Research Fund, the Garry Shandling Infectious Diseases Innovation Fund and the Garry Shandling Pancreatic Diseases Fund. These funds benefited UCLA’s Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension, Division of Infectious Diseases, and Agi Hirshberg Center for Pancreatic Diseases, respectively. The fourth fund, the Garry Shandling Medical Research Fund, supported research across a wider range of medical fields under the direction of the dean of the David Geffen School of Medicine. Together, the four funds gave the university designated support for three specialties while allowing the medical school to direct additional resources toward broader research priorities. John Mazziotta, then vice chancellor for UCLA Health Sciences and CEO of UCLA Health, highlighted the importance of philanthropic contributions to efforts to detect, treat and prevent disease. Their remarks placed the bequest within the university’s wider commitment to improving medical knowledge and patient care.
Shandling died in March 2016, nearly three years before UCLA announced the bequest. UCLA allocated the $15.2 million bequest among four named funds.
UCLA Chancellor Gene Block said the gift reflected Shandling’s belief in the potential of medical research.
