Brigham and Women's Hospital Launches the Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases

BOSTON, Oct. 14, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) announced the launch of the Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases. Through the center, BWH will convene and lead a global collaboration in medical research to accelerate treatment, prevention and cures for five of the world's most complex neurologic diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS), Alzheimer's disease, Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS), Parkinson's disease and brain tumors. Collectively, these diseases affect more than 50 million people worldwide.

The Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases will create fertile ground for discovering breakthroughs and applications for scientific research by bringing together researchers and scientists working worldwide across each of the five disease states. The center will inspire hope and empower those confronting neurologic diseases. Mrs. Ann Romney, who is living with MS, will serve as a global ambassador and powerful champion of the center's mission to transform the future of medicine.

"I know firsthand how terrifying and devastating these neurologic diseases can be, and I want to do everything in my power to help change outcomes for future generations," said Mrs. Ann Romney, for whom the center is named. "The team at Brigham and Women's Hospital gave me the gift of enduring hope and that is what this center is about – improving and saving the lives of the 50 million people facing a heart-breaking diagnosis. I hope everyone who shares this vision will join our effort."

The Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases will be led by the Brigham's Dr. Howard L. Weiner, and Dr. Dennis J. Selkoe, two of the world's most renowned experts in the field of neurologic disease. For 30 years, Dr. Weiner and Dr. Selkoe have helped train the next generation of leaders in the field of neurologic diseases globally. Leveraging this deep relationship network, the Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases will act as a catalyst, fueling collaboration among the global medical and scientific communities in pursuit of faster treatments and cures.  

"We've proven that promising advances in neurologic diseases occur when research in one disease state is applied to other disease states," said Dr. Weiner. "What makes this center different is the integration which allows us to discover connections between diseases that otherwise would not have been realized if the research remained in silos. My colleague Dr. Dennis Selkoe and I have been collaborating since 1985, and the Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases gives us a platform to take it to the next level."

The Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases will be a virtual, global center anchored in the new Brigham Building for the Future at BWH. Opening in 2016, the Brigham Building for the Future will be one of the most technologically sophisticated patient care and research facilities in the country. The new building will increase real-time engagement by putting doctors and researchers under one roof.

"By combining Brigham and Women's Hospital's unique assets with the world's most advanced resources and minds, the center will accelerate life-giving breakthroughs," said Dr. Betsy Nabel, president of BWH. "We are fortunate to have Dr. Selkoe and Dr. Weiner as co-leaders of this center. Their track record of neurologic discoveries and integrative strategies is at the foundation of the Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases."

To learn more about the Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases and to join its mission, please visit: www.BWHAnnRomneyCenter.org.

About Brigham and Women's Hospital

Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) is a 793-bed nonprofit teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School and a founding member of Partners HealthCare. BWH has more than 3.5 million annual patient visits, is the largest birthing center in Massachusetts and employs nearly 15,000 people. The Brigham's medical preeminence dates back to 1832, and today that rich history in clinical care is coupled with its national leadership in patient care, quality improvement and patient safety initiatives, and its dedication to research, innovation, community engagement and educating and training the next generation of health care professionals. Through investigation and discovery conducted at its Brigham Research Institute (BRI), BWH is an international leader in basic, clinical and translational research on human diseases, more than 1,000 physician-investigators and renowned biomedical scientists and faculty supported by nearly $650 million in funding. For the last 25 years, BWH ranked second in research funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) among independent hospitals. BWH continually pushes the boundaries of medicine, including building on its legacy in transplantation by performing a partial face transplant in 2009 and the nation's first full face transplant in 2011. BWH is also home to major landmark epidemiologic population studies, including the Nurses' and Physicians' Health Studies and the Women's Health Initiative.  For more information, resources and to follow us on social media, please visit BWH's online newsroom.

SOURCE Brigham and Women's Hospital

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