LOS ANGELES, May 31, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The UCLA Longevity Center, a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing and extending productive and healthy lives through research and education, honors Sidney Poitier, Jane and Terry Semel, Peter Whybrow, MD, Shlomo Rechnitz and Steve Rechnitz at the 2012 ICON Awards gala, June 6 at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Quincy Jones presents; author and former "first daughter" Patti Davis is guest speaker.Natalie Cole performs and Lisa Ann Walter hosts.

The ICON Award for Artistic Excellence will be presented to Sidney Poitier. In 1963, Poitier became the first black person to win an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Lilies of the Field. Most recently, President Barack Obama awarded Poitier the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States of America's highest civilian honor.

Jane and Terry Semel receive the ICON Award for Visionary Leadership in Science and Medicine. Chairman and CEO of Windsor Media, Semel previously served as Chairman and CEO of Yahoo! Inc. and Chairman and Co-CEO of Warner Bros. Jane Bovingdon Semel is the founder of ijane inc., the nonprofit production company that produced the Face The Issue PSA campaign. The Semels endowed the Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior at UCLA, one of the largest and most distinguished institutes engaged in the study of the brain.

The ICON Award for Visionary Leadership in Science and Medicine will also be presented to Dr. Peter Whybrow, Director of the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA.

Shlomo Rechnitz and Steve Rechnitz receive the ICON Award for Visionary Leadership in Business and Philanthropy. In 2004, Shlomo Rechnitz founded Brius Healthcare Company. He is the co-founder and CEO of Twin Med, LLC.

In 1998, Steve Rechnitz formed Twin Med with his twin brother, Shlomo. They have utilized their success in the healthcare field to give back to the field of medicine and have contributed millions of dollars to cancer research.

The UCLA Longevity Center, directed by aging and memory expert Dr. Gary Small, is an essential component of the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior and represents the best of UCLA. Through cutting-edge research and innovative programs, the Center's endeavors are improving lives every day.

http://www.longevity.ucla.edu

The ICON gala is produced by Scott Mauro Entertainment.

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UCLA Longevity Center To Honor Sidney Poitier, Jane & Terry Semel, Dr. Peter Whybrow, Shlomo Rechnitz & Steve Rechnitz ...