In Loving Memory of family, friends, classmates, and far too many others.

We are a team of eight, spirited Baby Boomers connected by the simple fact that we grew up together. For the past year, we’ve been working on an ambitious plan that requires a team far larger than the eight of us. We picture a future without Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) or Parkinson’s Disease (PD), and a present, where respected labs work collaboratively in active partnership with each other to unravel, diminish, and speed the path towards eradicating these closely linked, humbling diseases.

In America alone, one of us is diagnosed with AD every 65 seconds; for PD, every nine minutes. Those numbers will likely keep rising. Doing nothing is not an option.

That’s why we took on this quest. We began by raising money from our peers, as they have the most to gain and the most urgent need. Now we’re re-doubling our efforts, reaching out to all generations. To achieve our goal of making a real difference, we had to find the right lab to support, one where our donation would have the most significant impact. We found that perfect match with Drs. Ted M. and Valina L. Dawson’s Lab, part of the Institute for Cell Engineering at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Medicine. The Dawsons have a distinguished track record driving discovery research to clinical trials, as well as a demonstrated commitment to training the next generation of leaders in the field. 

Our funds, as per the Dawsons’ request, are dedicated to boosting the Lab’s current advances towards AD and PD therapeutics by supporting the hire and research of a postdoctoral research fellow. The Dawson Lab was able to hire the award-winning neuroscientist, Dr. Seohyun Kim. It is our honor to work with such a formidable, talented, and productive lab. 

Please join us. Together we can end these lethal diseases and save our children and grandchildren from their relentless scourge. For more about the Dawson Lab’s research, click here.

Gratefully,

Nancy Bronstein, Janet Chernela, Eric Gruenstein, Pat Gruenstein, Jeanne Lengsfelder, Arthur Levi, Steve Sharfstein, and Jim Wynne: high school classmates and friends. 

*Click here to read the letter that launched this project + team bios.

If you have questions about or need assistance with making a contribution, please contact Kevin McGuire, Sr. Associate Director of Development, at kmcgui10@jhmi.edu.