The University of Florida has received a $20 million gift to establish the Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, the university said in a release.
The donation from Lauren and Lee Fixel Family Foundation will help advance technological innovation, clinical care and research for Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases, including ALS, dystonia and concussions, Alzheimer and Lewy body.
Initially, the university plans to recruit five new faculty members specializing in neurodegenerative diseases to staff the institute.
“UF Health has made major investments that support neurodegenerative disease research. This gift enables UF to rapidly double down in the area of Parkinson’s disease,” said Todd Golde, executive director of the Evelyn F. and William L. McKnight Brain Institute of the University of Florida.
“Given similarities between Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders, these new recruits will enhance and complement our strong existing research programs in Alzheimer’s disease, ALS, dystonia, brain injury and brain aging,” Golde added.
The university will match the gift dollar for dollar, catalyzing a $100 million capital campaign to provide support to doctors and scientists working on bringing advancements to the treatments of neurological disorders at the institute.
“As people live longer, Parkinson’s disease is rapidly becoming a critical health issue, with more than 1 million Americans expected to be living with the disease by next year. We believe it is essential to invest in innovative research to develop groundbreaking treatments with the goal of curbing this debilitating illness,” Lee Fixel said in a statement.
“We hope that our gift, along with extensive efforts at the University of Florida, will cement UF Health’s position as the preeminent destination for patient care, research and technological innovation for neurodegenerative diseases.”
The Fixel family has also already donated more than $4 million to a clinical care building that is current under construction in Gainesville that will house the newly created institute.
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