Ann Lurie donates $1.3 million for HIV/AIDS research

Chicago philanthropist Ann Lurie supports first of its kind public-private partnership in funding HIV research project

Chicago philanthropist Ann Lurie entered into a new, public-private partnership with Children's Memorial Research Center, The Howard Brown Health Center and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) by donating $1.3 million to fund the Adolescent Medicine Trials Network (ATN) for HIV/AIDS research. This is the first time that a private philanthropist, in collaboration with the Foundation for the NIH and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, has funded a peer-reviewed, federally sponsored project that directly benefits children and adolescents in Illinois. An event acknowledging this unique partnership was held at Children's Memorial Research Center on February 16, 2007.

Children's Memorial has the largest pediatric clinical HIV center in the Midwest, headed by pediatric HIV specialist, Ram Yogev, MD, who also serves on the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS. The NIH added Yogev's program to the ATN project by virtue of the private funding provided by Ms. Lurie's donation. The ATN is the only national network to study the emerging HIV epidemic in teens infected through sexual activity or drug-related behaviors.

“Ms. Lurie's dedication and on-going work to help society overcome HIV/AIDS is evident in her generous gift,” said Children's Memorial Research Center's president and scientific director Mary J.C. Hendrix, PhD. “The donation allows Children's Memorial to be a part of this nationwide study and further establishes us as a premier center for pediatric HIV clinical practice and research.”

Children's Memorial's adolescent specialist, Robert Garofalo, MD, MPH, is the project's principal investigator. He also serves as Director of Youth Services at The Howard Brown Health Center, which will be part of the network and is a well-established community-based agency with extensive ties to those at higher risk for HIV. “Our partnership with this organization will allow us to reach hundreds of adolescents who we would not be able to reach otherwise,” said Garofalo. “Howard Brown serves more than 1,400 HIV-infected adolescents and adult clients and is one of the largest providers of comprehensive HIV primary care and case management.”

Children's Memorial Research Center is one of 13 multidisciplinary centers of Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, and all of its principal investigators are faculty members at the school.