Massachusetts General Hospital and the MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease (MIND) has honored Cure Alzheimer’s Fund for its leadership, entrepreneurial philanthropy and investment in research projects that have the highest probability of slowing, stopping or reversing Alzheimer’s disease.

The first annual Award for Philanthropic Innovation and Investment was presented to the fund in early March. This new award seeks to recognize those who have made substantial commitments to visionary work that cannot be funded through other sources but has the potential to radically change scientific thinking and drug discovery for neurodegenerative diseases.

“When a researcher has a radically new idea to accelerate research, we need to find ways to support that creativity,” says Anne Young, Chief of MHG Neurology. “MIND is built on the idea of using collaborative methods to unlock the mysteries of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, ALS and Huntington’s. The work is difficult and cutting edge, so we need committed investors to help us reach our goals. Cure Alzheimer’s has completely understood this challenge and has created a new way of pushing forward the research more rapidly to reach a cure.

Cure Alzheimer’s is funding the Alzheimer’s Genome Project, which is being carried out in MIND’s Genetic Aging Research Unit. This project, led by Dr. Rudy Tanzi, aims to identify the full set of Alzheimer’s genes by the summer of 2008.

“Cure Alzheimer’s approach to philanthropy is exactly what is needed to move research forward quickly in an era of declining research dollars from the federal government,” says Dr. Tanzi. “Their ability to raise funds quickly, identify promising projects and most importantly, take calculated risks by investing in novel ideas has been an incredible advantage to the research community. They have transformed their personal experiences with Alzheimer’s disease into action that will benefit millions when a cure is found.”

“We are extremely proud of this prestigious award from our friends at MassGeneral,” says Jeff Morby, co-founder and chairman of Cure Alzheimer’s Fund. “Our partnership has made great strides in Alzheimer’s research, and we look forward to expanding our work with MassGeneral and continuing on this path of progress. Our Fund is committed to funding the best research, focused on one objective: to find a cure for Alzheimer’s.