Gerstner family donates $10 million to Mayo Clinic for five research, education initiatives

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Gerstner family donates $10 million to Mayo Clinic for five research, education initiatives

By
Rhoda Madson

October 8, 2018

Entrance to Mayo Clinic Gonda building with flags flying outside

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic announced on Monday, Oct. 8, that it received a $10 million grant from The Louis V. Gerstner Jr. Fund at Vanguard Charitable on the recommendation of Louis V. and Robin L. Gerstner.

The grant will support five initiatives across Mayo Clinic’s Arizona, Florida and Minnesota sites, and continues a long relationship with Mayo Clinic that includes the Gerstner Family Career Development Awards in Mayo Clinic’s Center for Individualized Medicine.

The grant advances research in the use of augmented human intelligence in cardiovascular care, and advances care for arthritis and spine pain using regenerative medicine and data analytics. Also, the grant provides specialized education opportunities for nurse practitioners and physician assistants.

“We are very appreciative to The Louis C. Gerstner Jr. Fund at Vanguard Charitable for their generous grant to Mayo Clinic that has provided us with the support needed to advance five focused initiatives across our three main locations,” says Gianrico Farrugia, M.D., vice president, Mayo Clinic, and CEO of Mayo Clinic in Florida, and president and CEO-elect, Mayo Clinic. “We are grateful for the support and trust in Mayo Clinic to do what we do best. That is putting the needs of the patient first in all we do, including work in research and education.”

The needs of patients drive research at Mayo Clinic. As doctors treat patients and see opportunities for advancing patient care, they work together with Mayo scientists and research teams to develop new and improved diagnostic tools, medications, devices, treatment protocols and more.

With fewer traditional funding sources available for medical research, philanthropy has become a critical link that makes it possible for research programs to move beyond initiation.

This grant not only makes research and new education opportunities for the five initiatives above possible, it expedites the discovery, development and delivery of treatments and technologies that ultimately benefit patients.

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About Mr. Gerstner
Louis V. Gerstner Jr. is a former chairman and CEO of International Business Machines Corp. Mr. Gerstner subsequently joined The Carlyle Group, a global private equity firm in Washington, D.C., where he served as chairman and, upon retiring from that position, continued as a senior adviser through September 2016.

Mr. Gerstner is chairman of the board of directors of the Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, vice chairman of the board of the American Museum of Natural History, a member of the board of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, and chairman of the board of Gerstner Sloan Kettering Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.

In recognition of his work on behalf of public education and his business accomplishments, Mr. Gerstner was awarded the designation of honorary Knight of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II in June 2001.

About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to clinical practice, education and research, providing expert, comprehensive care to everyone who needs healing. Learn more about Mayo Clinic. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network.

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