The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center has announced a $1 million gift from retired U.S. Navy admiral William H. McRaven in support of its research program focused on Gulf War Illness (GWI), as well as mental health programs for veterans.

The gift will support UT Southwestern professor Robert Haley’s research into GWI, the symptoms of which include persistent headaches, memory loss, fatigue, insomnia, and other debilitating issues. Haley’s research identified a genetic predisposition that explains why some veterans developed symptoms while others did not. Troops with certain genetic markers that helped metabolize sarin—a toxic nerve agent—were less likely to suffer from GWI, while those without them were more vulnerable. Further work by the team uncovered the key to possible treatment for the disease—a molecular pathway that can be targeted with existing drugs. McRaven’s gift will enable crucial clinical studies of the first therapeutics with the potential to treat the root cause of GWI and reverse it.

“UT Southwestern has always been at the forefront of helping our veterans and active-duty service members,” said McRaven, who also served as commander of U.S. Special Operations and oversaw the SEAL Team Six raid that killed Osama bin Laden in 2011. “Our hope through this gift is that a new dawn will rise for the 175,000 service members diagnosed with GWI who have been struggling for want of effective treatments.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/Martinns)