Longtime Supporters Make Gift to Harrington Discovery Institute at UH

For more than 10 years, Linda and Les Vinney have generously supported genetics research and counseling at UH Seidman Cancer Center. Their most recent gift will help fund research to cure another devastating condition: Alzheimer’s disease. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more patients and families are affected by Alzheimer’s disease than ever before, and the number is expected to grow as the global population ages.

The Vinneys committed $1.25 million to establish the Linda and Les Vinney Scholar Program in Alzheimer’s Disease at Harrington Discovery Institute, which will support new treatments for patients. The gift also creates the Linda and Les Vinney Acceleration Awards, which will assist the Vinney Scholars with their research. The program will be under the direction of Andrew A. Pieper, MD, PhD, Director of Neurotherapeutic Discovery, Harrington Discovery Institute, University Hospitals and Morley-Mather Chair in Neuropsychiatry, UH Neurological Institute.

Making Strides for Future Discoveries

Harrington Discovery Institute at University Hospitals has a robust network of scientists working on promising discoveries with significant potential to change the treatment landscape for Alzheimer’s disease.

The Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) and Harrington Discovery Institute have partnered to form the ADDF-Harrington Scholar program. The program recognizes physicians or scientists across the US, Canada and the United Kingdom, who are doing research to develop drugs to prevent, treat and cure Alzheimer’s disease. The establishment of the Linda and Les Vinney Scholar Program and the Vinney Acceleration Awards will both aid this program and help support the best science with the most promise to bring new treatments to patients with Alzheimer’s disease.

“We believe Harrington Discovery Institute’s unique way of providing resources and expertise to promising scientists offers an excellent chance of yielding important results in the search for effective drugs to treat Alzheimer’s disease,” explained Linda and Les.

“The Vinney’s investment is an important step in our shared goal to cure Alzheimer’s disease,” said Jonathan Stamler, MD, President, Harrington Discovery Institute at UH, Robert S. & Sylvia K. Reitman Family Foundation Distinguished Chair in Cardiovascular Innovation. “With guidance from Harrington Discovery's world-renowned industry experts, Vinney Scholars can advance their discoveries into clinical trials and the realm of commercial viability.”

If you are interested in learning more about Harrington Discovery Institute or how you can support Dr. Pieper's Alzheimer’s research, please contact Michelle Mulchin at Michelle.Mulchin@UHhospitals.org.