Emory University in Atlanta has announced a four-year, $10 million grant from the James M. Cox Foundation in support of the university’s Charlie and Harriet Shaffer Cognitive Empowerment Program (CEP).

A cornerstone initiative of the Goizueta Institute at Emory Brain Health, CEP aims to improve the lives of individuals—as well as those of their care partners—with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a distinct, early decline in memory and the ability to think, which is often a precursor to Alzheimer’s disease. CEP works to address key aspects of MCI, such as physical activity, cognition, functional independence, social engagement, well-being, nutrition, as well as ensure that MCI is included in research.

In 2018, the Cox Foundation and Cox Enterprises awarded $23.7 million to launch CEP in partnership with the Georgia Institute of Technology. Recent funding will support the initiative’s Phase II efforts, including program scaling, research to reduce disease progression, an expansion of in-person services, developing new and existing relationships, and technological advancements.

“We are profoundly honored and grateful to the Cox Foundation for their unwavering support and visionary investment in the Shaffer Cognitive Empowerment Program,” said Allan Levey, founding director of CEP and the Goizueta Institute at Emory Brain Health and professor of neurology in the Emory University School of Medicine. “This critical funding for Phase II not only validates the innovative strides we’ve made thus far but propels us into a new realm of possibilities.”

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