In addition to supporting the brick-and-mortar construction of the Falling Leaves Foundation Medical Innovation Building, the Mahs have endowed the research of two high-impact centers in the facility. The Adeline Yen Mah Vaccine Center brings together immunologists, virologists and pharmacologists working on new mRNA, DNA and protein vaccines to protect vulnerable populations from future pathogens – building on their internationally acclaimed contributions to COVID-19 vaccine development. The adjacent Robert A. Mah Molecular Innovation Center leverages chemistry, biology, molecular engineering and pharmacology to pursue next-generation drug treatments for cancer, neurodegenerative conditions, viral and bacterial infections, childhood diseases and more.

Scientific and medical excellence have long been at the heart of the couple’s impressive careers. Robert Mah, a professor emeritus at UCLA, conducted significant research on bacteria that thrive in extreme environments without oxygen. His contributions to the field were such that one genus and two species of archaebacteria were named after him. Meanwhile, Adeline Yen Mah specialized first in internal medicine in London followed by anesthesiology in Southern California. During her celebrated career in medicine, she served as chief anesthesiologist at West Anaheim Community Hospital.

But in 1997, Adeline Yen Mah rose to international acclaim with her heart-wrenching autobiography Falling Leaves: The true story of an unwanted Chinese daughter. The Cinderella-like tale chronicles her painful childhood in Shanghai and Hong Kong, marked by rejection, neglect, and abuse from her family – particularly her stepmother – and her struggle to find acceptance. Education became her refuge and provided her with the means to escape, leading her to London for her studies. The book sold over a million copies, made the New York Times bestseller list, and has been translated into more than 20 languages. Retired from medicine, Adeline Yen Mah continued publishing children’s literature and books on Chinese philosophy and proverbs.

In 2007, the Mahs founded the Falling Leaves Foundation, its name drawn from the ancient Chinese proverb that inspired Adeline Yen Mah’s memoir – “falling leaves return to their roots.” In those few words lies the story of their lives: a return to the values that shaped them – learning, compassion and the quiet joy of giving back.

Through their foundation, the Mahs have nurtured projects in science education, poetry and Chinese cultural studies, each an offering to the world that once inspired them. Yet nowhere has their generosity taken deeper root than in their support for health sciences research at UC Irvine, where their vision and faith in discovery have opened new paths toward healing.

“We stand on the precipice of a medical revolution, where every disease will one day be treatable – even preventable – through astonishing leaps in scientific understanding,” said Adeline Yen Mah. “As I walk through these laboratories, I am overcome by hope – by the brilliance and dedication of those who labor here to create a future for medicine that once belonged only in dreams.”

The Mahs’ support has already changed the landscape of medical research. But at a time when traditional sources of funding grow uncertain, it is the light of private philanthropy that keeps the flame of discovery burning bright. Through their generosity, the Mahs have become part of something timeless – a continuum of human endeavor stretching from curiosity to compassion, from knowledge to healing.

Their story reminds us that giving is not an end, but a return – like falling leaves carried home by the wind – bringing nourishment to the roots that gave them life, and hope to the generations yet to bloom.

To learn how you can make a transformational impact like the Mah family, contact Brian Hervey, vice chancellor of University Advancement & Alumni Relations at bhervey@uci.edu or Roland Ho, associate vice chancellor of Strategic Philanthropy at roland.ho@uci.edu.