Caption: Giorgio Foundation board members Ben Stapelfeld (far left), and Steve Kline (far right) with Sameer Agnihotri (second from left) and members of Dr. Agnihotri’s Brain Tumor Biology and Therapy Lab.
By Kat Procyk
The University of Pittsburgh and The Giorgio Foundation, a nonprofit organization that funds the research of pediatric neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), announced a $2 million commitment to create The Giorgio Foundation Chair in the Department of Neurosurgery at the School of Medicine. This initiative aims to support groundbreaking research in neurological conditions, particularly NF1, in pediatric and adult patients.
"The chair's primary focus will remain on advancing research and treatment for neurofibromatosis type 1 until we find a cure," said Anantha Shekhar, senior vice chancellor for the health sciences and John and Gertrude Petersen Dean, School of Medicine. "The Giorgio Foundation has long been a champion of this area of medicine. By creating this chair, the foundation ensures that Pitt remains at the forefront of innovation and discovery, helping to bring us closer to new treatments for patients."
The Giorgio Foundation Chair will support the recruitment and salary of a distinguished faculty member in the Department of Neurological Surgery. It will also fund professional development, research and scholarly activities related to NF1 and other neurological conditions, as well as critical academic initiatives within the department to drive innovation in neurosurgical treatments and therapies.
"The Giorgio Foundation's generosity will create a lasting impact on neurological research, especially for NF1," said Sameer Agnihotri, director of the Brain Tumor Biology and Therapy Lab. "This partnership exemplifies how philanthropy can drive scientific progress and bring us closer to life-changing breakthroughs."
The Giorgio Foundation pledged $1 million to endow a fund at Pitt, with all proceeds directly supporting the chair's mission. Pitt’s School of Medicine will contribute an additional $500,000 to the fund and has committed to securing another $500,000, bringing the total endowment to $2 million.
"Since the beginning of this journey, a significant part of our mission has been to create a legacy of truly groundbreaking NF1 research. We believe that Dr. Sameer Agnihotri and his lab at the University of Pittsburgh are on an incredible path toward that goal, and we are excited to create an endowment that will help to continue NF1 research for decades to come," said Erin Borzellino, cofounder of The Giorgio Foundation.