The James J. and Joan A. Gardner Family Foundation, a longtime supporter of local neurological research and care, has awarded a $20 million gift to its namesake University of Cincinnati Gardner Neuroscience Institute. The funding will support memory disorder studies, expand specialized care and help UC’s researchers gain national recognition for their Alzheimer’s research.
With this latest contribution, the Cincinnati-based foundation’s total support for UC’s neuroscience initiatives now exceeds $50 million since its first gift in 2007.
“It was my grandparents’ vision to provide patients in our community who suffer from neurological diseases with the best care, from the best people, in the best place,” said Kyle Johns, trustee of the Gardner Family Foundation.
Cory Shaw, president and CEO of UC Health, said the Gardner family’s continued support is fueling progress across all areas of neurological care.
“Their generosity and long-standing partnership are driving clinical advancements and breakthroughs in neurological research, care and education,” he said of the foundation.
Building on decades of impact
The Gardner Family Foundation has played a defining role in UC’s neuroscience institute’s growth over the past two decades. Earlier gifts have supported major advances in Parkinson’s and movement disorder research, the creation of a state-of-the-art outpatient center, and the 2023 upgrade of UC Health’s Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit.
The UC Gardner Neuroscience Institute now includes 15 specialty areas and attracts patients from 40 states and other countries. Its faculty are advancing discoveries that are shaping the future of neurological care worldwide. With continued philanthropic support from the Gardner Family Foundation, the institute is poised to further strengthen research, elevate care, and expand hope for patients facing diseases of the brain and nervous system.
A portion of the new funding will accelerate development of what UC Health described as a “learning health system,” an approach that turns everyday patient experiences into data that can directly inform care and research. The goal is to create a continuous feedback loop that helps clinicians refine treatments faster and improve patient outcomes.
“The learning health system is revolutionary,” said Dr. Brett Kissela, director of the UC Gardner Neuroscience Institute. “By incorporating feedback from patients directly experiencing neurological disorders, we can refine treatments and advance care strategies in real time.”
Major investment at ‘pivotal’ time
The foundation’s new investment also moves UC closer to earning designation as an Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC) through the National Institute on Aging. The title, held by only 35 centers nationwide, would open new opportunities for collaboration and shared discoveries across the field.
Beyond that, the funding will expand the Cincinnati Cohort Biomarker Program, a large-scale research effort applying a personalized medicine approach to diseases of brain aging. Initially focused on Parkinson’s disease, the initiative now includes Alzheimer’s research and seeks to match patients with drug therapies that can slow or stop disease progression.
“Our investment reflects our continued belief in the institute’s mission to achieve bold goals, such as earning ADRC status and ultimately achieving top-five national recognition in neuroscience care,” Johns said.
Dr. Gregory C. Postel, dean of the UC College of Medicine and executive vice president for health affairs, said the Gardner Foundation’s ongoing support represents a major milestone for the university at a “pivotal moment” for neuroscience research.
“(The Gardner Family Foundation’s) visionary support is driving innovations that will improve the lives of countless patients and their families for generations,” he added.
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