Sobey Foundation gives $2M for Alzheimer research chair

A $2-million donation to the Dalhousie Medical Research Foundation (DMRF) from The Sobey Foundation is being used to establish the DMRF Irene MacDonald Sobey Endowed Chair in Curative Approaches to Alzheimer’s Disease at Dalhousie University. 

Key Points:

• The chair will be held by Dr. Donald Weaver, an internationally acclaimed neurologist at Dalhousie Medical School, Capital Health, and the IWK Health Centre, and chemist and Canada Research Chair in Neuroscience at Dalhousie University.

• Dr. Weaver, a pioneer in the field of computer-aided drug development, is on the trail of an Alzheimer cure. Dr. Weaver's group is using state-of-the-art computer-aided modelling to develop models of a protein called beta-amyloid -- this protein has been implicated in the cause of Alzheimer's disease. Specifically, when beta-amyloid clumps, it becomes toxic to the brain, killing brain cells and leading to the symptoms of Alzheimer's dementia. Dr. Weaver's using these computer models to devise drugs that bind to amyloid in the brain, preventing it from clumping and thus blocking the brain damage associated with Alzheimer's disease.

• The Sobey chair in Alzheimer’s will provide stable annual funding to assist Dr. Weaver and his team in their search for a cure. This funding will be used to aid in the continued development of lead compounds as potential curative agents for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

• The Sobey Foundation's $2-million gift to DMRF represents the first in a joint major gifts partnership between DMRF and Dalhousie University. Today's donation brings the Sobey family's contribution to Dalhousie University's Bold Ambitions campaign up to $5 million in total.

• Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia. Currently there's estimated to be 30 million sufferers worldwide, and it's predicated to afflict 1 in 85 people by 2050.

Pull Quotes:

• "The Sobey family, our foundations, and our companies have been strong supporters of Dalhousie University over the years. We've watched with pride as Dalhousie has earned a reputation as one of Canada's top research universities." -- Mr. Donald Sobey, The Sobey Foundation

  "I must say that I've never been happier to support the work of this University than I am with today's announcement. Battles are being waged on many fronts in the fight against disease, but this one is personal for the Sobey family." -- Mr. David Sobey, The Sobey Foundation

• "It's an honour to be selected as the Sobey Chair in Alzheimer's disease research. It's deeply gratifying that the Sobey family and The Sobey Foundation has the generosity, courage, and foresight to support the search for a cure for this devastating disease. We look forward to pursuing our studies in discovering a cure for Alzheimer's, and the funding associated with this chair will be a crucial and invaluable contribution to this effort." -- Dr. Donald Weaver, DMRF Irene MacDonald Sobey Endowed Chair in Curative Approaches to Alzheimer's Disease

• "Dalhousie Medical Research Foundation has built an endowment of over $50 million to support medical research at Dalhousie Medical School and its affiliated teaching hospitals across the Maritimes. Today we will add to that endowment fund. It's my honour to announce that The Sobey Foundation, together with Sobey family, has made a commitment to support the new DMRF Irene MacDonald Sobey Endowed Chair in Curative Approaches to Alzheimer's Disease." -- Mr. Frank Sobey, chairman, Dalhousie Medical Research Foundation

• "Endowed chairs offer a level of excellence, provide long-term financial stability, and supply a means of attracting and retaining the best doctors and researchers to our region. On behalf of Dalhousie Medical School, I extend our sincere gratitude to The Sobey Foundation and the Sobey family for providing such a magnanimous commitment to Alzheimer research and to Dr. Weaver, a world-renowned physician and scientist." -- Dr. Tom Marrie, dean, Dalhousie Medical School

• "When it comes to research, we all have the same ultimate goal -- to find treatments and cures that will help improve the quality of life for our community. The Sobey Foundation's generous support represents yet another contribution toward Dalhousie's neuroscience research cluster, the largest of its kind in Canada." -- Dr. Tom Traves, president, Dalhousie University

Contacts:

• Allison Gerrard, Dalhousie Medical School, allison.gerrard@dal.ca, 902-494-1789
• Cynthia Thompson, Sobeys Atlantic, cynthia.thompson@sobeys.com, 902-921-3026