On a campus where light meets life, UC Irvine’s Beckman Laser Institute & Medical Clinic gathered 250 of its closest friends — scientists, clinicians, alumni, students, and donors — to look back on four transformative decades and to illuminate the road ahead.

On Thursday, October 8, 2026, UC Irvine Beckman Laser Institute & Medical Clinic (BLI) celebrated its 40th anniversary — a day of reflection, discovery, and camaraderie befitting an institution that has devoted four decades to advancing laser and optical technologies in medicine to improve the lives of patients worldwide. The day unfolded as a testament to what curiosity, collaboration, and shared commitment can build — one breakthrough, one trainee, and one patient at a time.

THE MINI RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

The day began with a Mini Research Symposium that united current and former Institute researchers for a half-day of discovery. The symposium was organized around three pillars: showcasing groundbreaking research and translational impact, building foundations for future careers, and honoring a legacy of partnership and collaboration.

Institute Director Bernard Choi opened the proceedings before a roster of distinguished speakers took the stage. Sessions spanned the breadth of the Institute’s scientific portfolio, from clinical therapy to nanoscale imaging, and drew participants from institutions across the globe.

The symposium set an intellectual tone that would carry through the rest of the day — one of rigorous inquiry, cross-disciplinary dialogue, and an eye firmly fixed on improving lives at the end of the research pipeline.

THE ANNIVERSARY PROGRAM: HONORING FOUR DECADES OF DISCOVERY

The Mini Research Symposium set the stage for the 40th Anniversary Celebration program, bringing together supporters who collectively represent the Institute’s past, present, and future.

Director Bernard Choi: Welcome Institute Family

Bernard Choi, who has been part of the Institute family for twenty-five years, opened the celebration with warmth and gratitude. He welcomed distinguished guests including Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation representatives Kaerie Ray and Esther Devanney. Representing the former nonprofit Beckman Laser Institute, Inc., Arthur Fine made a special journey from Arizona to attend — a gesture that spoke to the deep bonds forged within BLI’s community over the decades.

“I’ve had the great fortune of being part of the Beckman Laser Institute family for 25 years, and I’ve had the privilege of working alongside some of the brightest, most innovative minds in our field,” stated Choi.

Provost Hal Stern: A University’s Investment in Light

UC Irvine Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Hal Stern, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Statistics and former founding chair of that same department, delivered remarks that situated the Institute within the broader arc of the university’s academic mission. He paid tribute to Foundation board members, industry partners, and community leaders whose sustained support made four decades of discovery possible.

Stern traced the Institute’s origins to 1986, when founding director Michael Berns and a small team of students and staff first opened the Institute’s doors, united by the conviction that placing scientists, engineers, and physicians side by side would accelerate the journey from laboratory bench to patient bedside.

“Technologies and discoveries developed here are now built into medical devices used around the world. They have made treatments safer and less painful for millions of patients,” stated Stern.

Among the landmark achievements Stern highlighted was Medical Director Stuart Nelson’s Dynamic Cooling Device (DCD) — a groundbreaking innovation that protects the skin during laser treatment and has become an indispensable tool in treating vascular malformations, earning its place as one of the most valuable patents in the history of the University of California. He also announced a milestone investment in the Institute’s future: the establishment of the Michael W. Berns Chair in Biophotonics, honoring the Institute’s founding director. Tammy Karn, Michael Berns’ daughter, was present for the occasion, honoring her father’s enduring legacy alongside the community he helped build.

“Forty years in, BLI stands as an internationally recognized center for biomedical photonics, laser medicine, and translational optical research,” Stern told the assembled guests. “The Institute is well positioned to generate significant and lasting impact for UC Irvine and the broader region — attracting pioneers developing new light-source and imaging technologies, researchers working to detect and cure disease, and entrepreneurs dedicated to bringing new solutions to market.”

A Conversation with Bruce J. Tromberg: From BLI to the NIH

The evening’s special guest was Bruce Tromberg, Director of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) at the National Institutes of Health — and, as many in the room could attest, a BLI alumnus through and through.

Tromberg’s connection to the Institute runs deep. He arrived at the Institute in 1988 as a Hewitt Foundation postdoctoral fellow, rising through the ranks to become a professor of biomedical engineering and surgery at UC Irvine and ultimately serving as the Institute’s director from 2003 to 2018 before joining NIH in 2019. With that history behind him, Tromberg was uniquely positioned to reflect on where the Institute began — recounting the pivotal meeting between philanthropist Arnold Beckman and pioneering scientist Michael Berns that would lay the foundation for the Institute’s creation and set its course for decades to come. He spoke with conviction about the profound impact that foundation has had on human health, from groundbreaking discoveries in the laboratory to life-changing advances in patient care.

Gratitude and Legacy

The program also became an occasion for meaningful recognition. Choi presented Tromberg with a crystal etching of the Institute building — crafted from a photograph taken by the late Paul Kennedy, a longtime friend of the Institute whose lens had captured countless scientists and clinicians at work.

A gift was also presented to Kaerie Ray and Esther Devanney of the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation, in honor of the Foundation’s four decades of unwavering support. Choi credited the Foundation and the enduring legacy of Arnold Beckman, founder of Beckman Instruments, Inc., as an indispensable pillar of the Institute’s identity and growth.

A significant moment of the evening came with the recognition of faculty member and distinguished scientist Robert Brown and his wife Kit Brown. Their extraordinary philanthropic commitment to the Institute’s future was formalized through two transformative gifts. This includes the: Robert G. W. Brown Graduate Student Fellowship, which provides critical funding to support exceptional graduate students pursuing cutting-edge research at the Institute, ensuring emerging scientific minds have the resources they need to succeed.  In addition, Robert G. W. Brown Endowment for Nanophotonics, which empowers research teams to explore bold new directions, develop emerging technologies, and accelerate the translation of groundbreaking discoveries into real-world impact.

“Your generosity will inspire and enable transformative research at the Institute for generations to come,” Choi told the Browns as they joined him at the podium. “Together, your gifts reflect Robert’s lifelong passion for scientific discovery, mentorship, and education — and Kit’s steadfast support of that vision.”

RECEPTION & DEMONSTRATIONS: SCIENCE BEYOND THE LAB

At 5:00 p.m., the celebration moved to the halls of the Institute for a reception and live laboratory demonstrations — the embodiment of Provost Stern’s call to “see the bench-to-bedside model firsthand.” Seventeen faculty lab demonstrations invited guests to engage directly with technologies that are actively changing lives. The breadth of innovation on display was staggering, spanning dermatology, oncology, cardiology, neurology, ophthalmology, and beyond.

As the evening drew to a close and guests lingered among lasers and light-based wonders, the mood was one of celebration — but also of forward motion. The announcements of the Michael W. Berns Chair in Biophotonics, the Brown Graduate Student Fellowship, and the Brown Endowment for Nanophotonics signaled that Institute’s best chapters may still be unwritten.

The Institute enters its fifth decade with a faculty spanning the UC Irvine Schools of Medicine, Engineering, Physical Sciences, and Biological Sciences; a medical clinic that transforms the lives of patients through innovative laser-based treatments and therapies — offering new hope to those facing conditions that have long challenged conventional medicine; an expanding network of industry and government partners; and a global reputation that draws the world’s most talented researchers to campus.

If 40 years of bending light to heal the human body is the prelude, one can only imagine what the next four decades will illuminate. None of it, however, would be possible without the steadfast support of those who believe in the Institute’s mission — the donors, partners, collaborators, and friends who have championed Institute’s work from its earliest days and continue to do so today. Their generosity fuels the curiosity to discover, the ingenuity to create, and the commitment to educate the next generation of scientists, clinicians, and innovators. As the Institute looks toward its next chapter, it does so with deep gratitude for all who have helped — and who continue to help — make the impossible possible.