Harvard Medical School receives 'transformational' gift

Harvard has received a $200 million gift that officials say is the largest in its medical school's 236-year history.

The gift announced Thursday is from Len Blavatnik and the Blavatnik Family Foundation. Officials say the gift will allow the medical school to accelerate research and develop new tools to diagnose, prevent and treat disease.

Dean George Daley called it a "transformational gift" that "will bring us closer to solving the most intractable health challenges of our time."

Blavatnik, who has an MBA from Harvard, said in a statement that partnering with Harvard will help him achieve his goal of supporting breakthrough scientific research leading to treatments and cures.

In recognition of the gift, the school is bringing 10 basic science and social science departments under one umbrella called the Blavatnik Institute.

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