Mayo Clinic Jacksonville receives $1 million for Alzheimer's research

Wednesday, July 27, 2005

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., July 27, 2005 — The M.L. Simpson Foundation Trust of Jackson, Ga., has donated $1 million to Mayo Clinic Jacksonville to fund research fellowships to advance the progress of medical research in Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. The Simpson gift is joining with philanthropy from an anonymous donor to fund several research fellowships in the Department of Neuroscience at Mayo Clinic Jacksonville.

"We are extraordinarily grateful to The M.L. Simpson Foundation Trust for their partnership in our mission to heal the sick and to advance the science of medicine," says George B. Bartley, M.D., Chair, Board of Governors, Mayo Clinic Jacksonville. "Research fellowships are essential for achieving those goals, and we thank Mrs. Martha Almond, as well as the other board members of The M.L. Simpson Foundation Trust, for their partnership."

Support for research fellowships helps Mayo Clinic recruit the brightest young investigators and clinicians. It also helps fund work that is essential for attracting long-term funding from the National Institutes of Health and other government agencies. At Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, examples of successes that have emerged from this type of philanthropy include the launching of a large, multicenter study on stroke genetics and several important discoveries about Alzheimer's disease and other brain disorders.

"Representing Louise Simpson during her lifetime and comforting her during her final hours has made a tremendous impact on my life," says Martha Almond, who directs The M.L. Simpson Foundation Trust. "I am honored she chose me to carry on with her estate, unitrust and foundation. Along with the cooperation of our board and with God's divine help, we are making important progress toward accomplishing Louise's desires."

A grateful patient of Mayo Clinic, Margaret Louise Simpson met Mrs. Almond, a real estate agent from Jackson, Ga., during the 1980s. Together they built a collection of holdings that totaled more than 3,500 acres in and around Atlanta. The M.L. Simpson Foundation Trust was established in 1999, nearly 3 1/2 years before Mrs. Simpson's death in 2003. In addition to Mayo Clinic, the Simpson Foundation Trust has made significant philanthropic gifts to several not-for-profit religious, medical and public service organizations.

— 30 —

Mayo Clinic is a multispecialty medical clinic in Jacksonville, Fla. The staff includes 309 physicians working in more than 40 specialties to provide diagnosis, treatment and surgery. Patients who need hospitalization are admitted to nearby St. Luke's Hospital, a 289-bed Mayo facility. Mayo Clinics also are located in Rochester, Minn., and Arizona. Visit www.MayoClinic.org/news for all the news from Mayo Clinic.

###

To obtain the latest news releases from Mayo Clinic, go to www.mayoclinic.org/news. MayoClinic.com is available as a resource for your health stories.