Our Story
The Colton Consortium emerged from a recognition that autoimmune diseases are interconnected—and that collaborative research across institutions yields deeper insights than siloed efforts. This foundation guides our work today.
From individual centers to integrated network
In 2014, a generous gift from Judith and Stewart Colton enabled the establishment of the first Colton Center for Autoimmunity at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, grounded in a conviction that autoimmune research needed a new model—one focused on the shared mechanisms underlying related diseases rather than disease-by-disease approaches.
This vision expanded with the establishment of Colton Centers for Autoimmunity at Yale University (2019), the University of Pennsylvania (2021), Tel Aviv University (2022), and Mount Sinai (2026). Each center added distinctive scientific expertise and institutional resources. More importantly, bringing them together created something different: five leading institutions united by an exclusive focus on autoimmunity, sharing research directions, coordinating investigations, and learning from one another.
What had begun as separate centers became the Colton Consortium—a network where the collaborative force proved greater than individual efforts alone.
Sustained commitment to collaborative science
This network has been sustained by the visionary philanthropy of Judith and Stewart Colton and their conviction that progress in autoimmune research is most powerful when driven by shared purpose and collective expertise. Their support—through competitive grants for emerging researchers, shared infrastructure, and data platforms—has shaped the Consortium's culture and priorities, enabling cross-institutional discovery.
The Coltons remain deeply engaged with the science and the collaborative model itself, understanding that sustained partnership and institutional alignment matter as much as initial funding. Their legacy extends across the Consortium's multi-institutional network, where each center accelerates progress toward bringing new therapies closer to patients.
Photo: Anthony DeCarlo / Yale School of Medicine"We have a war on cancer.
Why can't we have a war on autoimmunity?"
Building a network with a shared purpose
The Colton Consortium now comprises five member institutions and hundreds of investigators committed to understanding the shared mechanisms underlying autoimmune disease. The network continues to grow—in scope, in partnerships, and in impact—guided by the principle that better science happens when researchers work across institutional boundaries and research disciplines.