New York Times, March 22, 2012
By Benedict Carey
Visit the Allen Institute website.
It’s a good day for brain research.
Microsoft co-founder, Paul Allen is giving millions more to the Allen Institute for Brain Science, which according to a New York Times article, opened as a center for brain research in 2003.Reporter Benedict Carey notes that, “The institute will focus on counting and classifying the different types of neurons, illuminating the molecular machinery within the cells that can cause problems, and studying how the cells process information in networks, using as a model the visual system in mice.”
This contribution brings Allen’s total for the Seattle-based research organization to $500 million dollars. According to an Allen Institute’s press release that announces the new donation:
(Paul) Allen has charged the Institute with tackling some of the most fundamental and complex questions in brain science today. The answers to these questions are essential for achieving a complete understanding of how the brain works, what goes wrong in brain-related diseases and disorders, and how best to treat them.
“As someone who has been touched by the impact of a neurodegenerative disease — my mother has Alzheimer’s — there’s both a fascination in basic research and the hope that we can move things forward,” Allen explained.
Read the entire press release from the Allen Institute. Check out these links to articles that describe some of the achievements of researchers at the Allen Institute.
Another good article to read is Bloomberg and Allen Boost Their Health Giving over at NPR.
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