Software Mogul
Gives $100 Million for AIDS Vaccine

A Boston software company owner is donating $100 million to establish a foundation funding research for vaccines against AIDS and other viral diseases.

The gift will establish the Phillip T. and Susan M. Ragon Institute Foundation, which will fund a collaboration between scientists, clinicians, and engineers from Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

"By providing flexible funding and by connecting science and engineering at MIT and Harvard with the research and clinical resources of MGH, we intend to empower many of the world's best researchers to focus on what they view as the most promising research," Ragon said in a statement.

Dr. Bruce Walker, a researcher at Massachusetts General and medical professor at Harvard, will lead the institute. The institute will initially focus on identifying effective immune response in a small group of people with HIV, according to Reuters.

Phillip Ragon is the founder and CEO of InterSystem Corporation. Susan Ragon is the vice president of finance, administration, and recruitment. The company provides record-keeping systems for hospitals and other health operations. (Michelle Garcia, Advocate.com)