Posted October 31, 2012
(October 29, 2012) (PRWEB) October 30, 2012 — The Brain Research Foundation (BRF) today announced that the 2012 recipients of the Frederic A. Gibbs Discovery Award will be Michael W. Ferro Jr. and David M. Holtzman, M.D.
Michael W. Ferro Jr., Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Merrick Ventures, LLC and Chairman of the Chicago Sun-Times, will receive the Philanthropic Leadership Award, recognizing his deep commitment to civic and philanthropic efforts. Mr. Ferro is a Henry Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute and is a director with the RAND Health Board of Advisors. Among the many boards he serves on are Northwestern University, Lurie Children’s Hospital, Northwestern Memorial Foundation, Big Shoulders Foundation, and After School Matters.
“Michael Ferro is invested in improving the health of our communities along with the science required to achieve that goal,” stated Terre Constantine, Ph.D., Executive Director of BRF. “He advocates for important health issues nationally and argues for much needed research and support.”
David M. Holtzman, M.D. will receive the Discovery Award For Community Service. Dr. Holtzman is the Andrew B. and Gretchen P. Jones Professor and Chairman of Neurology, Professor of Developmental Biology, and Associate Director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at Washington University in St. Louis.
Dr. Holtzman is one of the leading experts in researching the underlying mechanisms that lead to Alzheimer’s disease. His research focuses on protein aggregation in the brain—a process that appears to cause Alzheimer’s disease as well as a host of other neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s, ALS, and Huntington’s disease. His research goal is to help uncover ways to prevent these deadly and incurable diseases. “Dr. Holtzman represents the critical need to connect broad neurological research under one inclusive umbrella,” Dr. Constantine added. “His work touches many areas and stimulates important discussion and generates entirely new research efforts.”
The Discovery Award is named for Dr. Gibbs, a neurologist who helped found the Brain Research Foundation in 1953. He was a pioneer on the use of electroencephalography (EEG) for the diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy. The awards will be given tonight, October 29, at the Brain Research Foundation Discovery Award dinner.
About the Brain Research Foundation
The Brain Research Foundation supports cutting-edge neuroscience research that will lead to novel treatments and prevention of all neurological diseases in children and adults. We deliver this commitment through research grants, which provide initial funding for innovative projects, as well as educational programs for researchers and the general public.
