Merkin Family Foundation Announces Gift Establishing The Merkin Peripheral Neuropathy And Nerve Regeneration Center At Johns Hopkins Medicine

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Mar 30, 2021, 15:00 ET

MARINA DEL REY, Calif., March 30, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Merkin Family Foundation announced a gift establishing the Merkin Peripheral Neuropathy and Nerve Regeneration Center at Johns Hopkins Medicine supporting further research within the Department of Neurology. The Merkin Family Foundation was founded by visionary health care executive Richard Merkin, MD.

The gift will create an exciting new Discovery Fund for the new center's initial research activities including interdisciplinary teams working to significantly expedite nerve regeneration research, underlying causes and progression as well as identify developing new regenerative therapies.

It also supports basic research that will fuel new drug discoveries; translational and clinical studies; and integrate patients' experience with new therapies including finding biomarkers of nerve degeneration that potentially will help millions of people currently suffering from pain, decreased mobility and degenerative nerve loss that affects motor skills including those used for walking.

"I'm very pleased this gift will establish the Johns Hopkins Merkin Peripheral Neuropathy and Nerve Regeneration Center, providing these research teams with new and exciting opportunities to change how and why nerve loss occurs, opening doors for prevention and new discoveries," said Dr. Merkin.

Dr. Ahmet Hoke, Director of the Neuromuscular Division and Professor of Neurology in the Department, will be the inaugural director of the Merkin Center. Dr. Hoke focuses on neuromuscular diseases with a particular interest in peripheral nerve diseases.

"The Merkin Center will create a platform for speeding up the research in this area," said Dr. Hoke. "We are looking forward to investing in pilot projects to stimulate research and attract new investigators to the field."

About Richard Merkin, MD:

Richard Merkin, M.D. is the founder and CEO of Heritage Provider Network, Inc. (HPN). HPN is the largest physician-owned managed care organization in the country dedicated to value-based healthcare delivery improvements. HPN develops and manages coordinated, patient-doctor centric, integrated health care systems that offer some of the strongest solutions for the future of health, care, and cost in the United States. HPN and its affiliates operate in New York, California, Arizona, and Colorado, providing high quality, cost effective healthcare with over one million patient members. HPN is dedicated to quality, affordable health care, and putting patients' wellness first.

To learn more about the Department of Neurology, click here.

SOURCE Heritage Provider Network, Inc.