LOS ANGELES : UCLA’s Dr. Gale to Join Private Health Care Firm

Dr. Robert Gale, a bone marrow transplant pioneer who gained international renown for his treatment of victims of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, is leaving his full-time post at UCLA to work for a private health care provider.

Gale, who was instrumental in developing UCLA’s bone marrow transplant center, will join Salick Health Care, which operates nine cancer centers nationwide and provides services to patients who need organ transplants or have chronic illnesses. He begins his new job Sept. 1.

Gale said he expects to devote more time to research in his new job, and hopes to work on developing ways to bring bone marrow transplant operations to more patients at a lower price. He will also continue teaching part time at UCLA.

“Can these effective but extraordinarily expensive medical interventions be developed at a price that our society will accept?” he asked. “In my opinion, it is the private sector that is much more likely to be able to do that than the university.”