The University of Chicago has announced a five-year, $10 million gift from the Lohengrin Foundation to help establish a center dedicated to research on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other neurodegenerative diseases.

The Center for Motor Neuron Disease (CMND) will work to advance biological research on the cellular processes and genetic causes of these conditions as well as potential treatments. In addition, the gift will fund annual lectures, conferences, postdoctoral fellowships, and educational outreach programs at local Chicago secondary schools with a goal of reaching students from racial and ethnic backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in the sciences. To that end, the outreach programs will include presentations on research and scientific careers, hands-on experiments, and field trips to visit UChicago and perform experiments using advanced scientific equipment in campus labs.

“With data revealing that someone is diagnosed with or passes away from ALS every 90 minutes, the Lohengrin Foundation is delighted to support the establishment of the Center for Motor Neuron Disease at the University of Chicago,” said Lohengrin Foundation executive director Mark Rodriguez. “The center’s research is aligned with our commitment to finding a cure or potential treatments for neurological diseases. The additional direct connection to STEM educational and careers outreach to local Chicago public high schools over the next five years reinforces our longstanding commitment to advancing educational opportunities for Chicago’s underserved youth.”

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