Donors sustain Alzheimer’s institute momentum
Posted on: Friday, January 12th, 2018
With several million dollars in new gifts, momentum continues to grow for the Biggs Institute for Alzheimer and Neurodegenerative Diseases launched in September by the Health Science Center.
UT Health Science Center President William L. Henrich, M.D., MACP, announced recent gifts of $3 million from the Greehey Family Foundation, $2 million from the Valero Energy Foundation, $1 million from the Kronkosky Charitable Foundation and $1 million from the Baptist Health Foundation of San Antonio, along with $1 million from the J.M.R. Barker Foundation that is an accelerated payment toward a $5 million pledge for the institute.
The Greehey Foundation gift will further cutting-edge research into the causes of and treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. The Valero Foundation gift supports care for patients with Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases, and provides important services for family members who are caregivers. The Kronkosky Foundation funding is for facilities and equipment and will establish a biorepository of tissue and blood specimens that is of critical importance to clinical trials. The Baptist Health Foundation gift endows a prestigious distinguished chair for the institute. The Barker Foundation gift is for recruitment of the new institute director that is now underway, Dr. Henrich said.
In supporting the Biggs Institute, these philanthropic organizations join other generous donors whose support has resulted in more than $23 million for endowments and more than $17 million from other gifts and support that will advance the success of the institute and its faculty and programs.
“The Biggs Institute will provide early diagnosis and then coordinated patient- and family-centered care for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease, other dementias and other neurodegenerative diseases through all disease stages,” said Francisco González-Scarano, M.D., dean of the School of Medicine and executive vice president for medical affairs of the Health Science Center.
To read the full article, visit the UT Health San Antonio Newsroom.