JDFAF STRATEGIC INITIATIVE
Dr Virginia Sturm’s Lab
Since 1983, JDFAF continued to fund innovative scientific and medical research by promising scientists. By 2017, however, the board of JDFAF became increasingly concerned that sufficient funding in the future would be limited from the National Institute of Aging and other funding sources to effectively help the millions of men and women who were developing Alzheimer's disease each year. Our response was to determine how to more effectively support our mission and to develop a strategic initiative whereby all of the Foundation's accumulated funds would be donated immediately to the most promising scientists studying Alzheimer's disease at the top California universities. A related and essential goal was to foster communication and collaboration among the JDFAF research scientists and their teams to further accelerate and discover treatments and potential cures for those suffering with Alzheimer’s and related neurodegenerative diseases.
In 2018, the Strategic Planning Committee of the Foundation began negotiating with UC San Francisco Memory and Aging Center, UCLA Mary S. Easton Center for Alzheimer's Disease Research, USC Keck School of Medicine's Eli and Edythe Broad CIRM Center, and UC Santa Barbara's Alzheimer's Disease Research Center.
Our proposed major requirements included:
grant $1 million dollars to establish permanent endowments for each of 7 chairs at UCSF, 2 chairs at UCLA, 1 chair at USC, and $1 million dollars to UC Santa Barbara neuroscientists;
each institution will match our donation, dollar for dollar;
the Foundation will recommend the scientists to be named as JDFAF chairs;
JDFAF endowed chairs and their research teams will meet at least annually.
Dr Jessica Rexach’s Lab
The overarching goal and function of the annual JDFAF endowed colloquium is to promote and link Alzheimer's research programs across California, so scientists in this field will work synergistically towards developing better and earlier diagnosis, potential treatments and eventually cures for Alzheimer's disease and related neurodegenerative conditions. We granted UC San Francisco’s Memory and Aging Center an additional endowment for oversight for the annual required symposium.
Our primary goal is to disburse Foundation generous contributions as soon as agreements were reached with each of the above institutions. We have accomplished our goal and look forward to our first JDFAF Symposium in October 2020.