6 days ago
Eagles owner gifts $50M to CHOP and Penn Medicine to open the Lurie Autism Institute
Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie is putting his money where his mouth is, this time with a $50 million gift to open the Lurie Autism Institute in partnership with Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Penn Medicine. The gift, from the Lurie family, is the largest single donation to U.S. academic medical centers focused on autism research across the lifespan.
Develop a better understanding of the genetics and complex biological processes underlying autism, including the role of environmental and epigenetic factors in its development;
Uncover how the diverse behaviors among the autism spectrum manifest and evolve across the lifespan;
Develop more advanced lab models to understand how autism impacts brain function across the lifespan;
Explore why some individuals with autism have minimal speaking ability, using insights from brain and language science;
Use AI to analyze large-scale biological and behavioral data to identify new treatment targets and existing drugs that may be repurposed for ASD.
Conduct research to study autism-related genes and their potential as therapeutic targets;
Prepare to launch clinical trials that prioritize both behavioral and pharmacological interventions for ASD.
Launch the Next-Generation Program in Autism Bioscience, a certificate program for PhD trainees and postdocs;
Serve as global conveners for the best ideas in the field by hosting an annual International Symposium and awarding the new Lurie Autism Institute Prize for ASD Research.
Lurie announced the launch of the Lurie Autism Institute this morning. This unique center will be the first-of-its-kind institute, located in Philadelphia, and aims to be a global hub for autism research and care.
'We established the Lurie Autism Institute to spark a new era of scientific discovery in autism. CHOP and Penn Medicine bring unmatched expertise and a proven record of innovation, and together, they have the tools to unlock answers that have eluded the field for far too long,' said Jeffrey Lurie, Chairman and CEO of the Philadelphia Eagles and founder of the Eagles Autism Foundation. 'By investing in cutting-edge science and the infrastructure to move it forward, we're aiming not just to understand autism more deeply—but to transform what's possible for individuals and families worldwide.'
Powered by Penn Medicine and CHOP's long history of partnering on transformative breakthroughs for the care of both children and adults, the Lurie Autism Institute is poised to make fresh discoveries that will reshape how we understand and treat autism.
This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Eagles owner donates $50M to open the Lurie Autism Institute
