On Tuesday, April 12, 2016, UCLA’s Friends of the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior and the Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital Board of Advisors will host Food and Friends at Vibiana. This elegant luncheon will raise vital funds for the Nexus Scholarship Award that supports the country’s most elite neuroscience M.D., Ph.D. clinicians/researchers during their Psychiatry Research Residency Program at UCLA. This next generation of scientists represents the future of the development of new treatments for illnesses of the mind and brain, which affect 6 billion people worldwide.

Food and Friends at Vibiana will bring together an audience of 300-350 influential people from the business, civic, entertainment, and philanthropic communities, as well as major UCLA campus leaders. Guests will enjoy a custom-designed “healthy for the mind and brain” menu prepared by Iron Chef winner and owner of Redbird Restaurant, Neal Fraser, in collaboration with Dr. Wendlin Slusser, Vice-Provost for the Healthy Campus Initiative. Lisa Kudrow, the beloved comedienne, well known for mining the mental health landscape, will serve as the emcee. Iconic musicians Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo will be honored with the Artistic Award of Courage for being longtime advocates of ending child abuse and inspiring a national conversation about this important issue. The award will be presented to them by legendary musician/songwriter, Rick Springfield. UCLA’s Scattertones, a co-ed acapella group and Dove Cameron, the enchanting young star of Disney’s Liv and Maddie and Descendants  will entertain the crowd by performing several Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo’s classic hits. Find more information and purchase tickets here.