NYU Langone Medical Center Receives $100 Million Gift to Establish Neuroscience Institute

July 8, 2009 (From NYU) — NYU Langone Medical Center announced today a $100 million gift from the Druckenmiller Foundation to establish a state-of-the-art neuroscience institute at the Medical Center.

This gift will provide for the recruitment and support of the highest caliber neuroscientists, reinforcing NYU Langone Medical Center's existing strengths and enabling it to become a leader in translational neuroscience, bringing expertise from the research bench to the clinical bedside. It will also help promote the education and training of future generations of neuroscientists—a hallmark of the institution—as well as support a dedicated neuroscience facility.

"Because we already have world-class expertise in neuroscience, I believe the momentum generated by this gift will take us to a new pinnacle in clinical and research excellence in this field," said Robert I. Grossman, MD, dean and CEO of NYU Langone Medical Center. "With this gift, Fiona and Stanley Druckenmiller are voicing their confidence in our aspirations of excellence in this field and are endorsing our talented team of faculty, scientists and staff."

Fiona Druckenmiller, a former portfolio manager at the Dreyfus Corporation, has been a trustee and strong advocate of the Medical Center since 2006. Stanley Druckenmiller, founder of Duquesne Capital Management, is also an active volunteer and is chairman of Harlem Children's Zone. Together, they have already given over $46 million to support various services and initiatives that are vital to NYU Langone Medical Center, including the campus transformation project. Understanding the realities of executing visionary plans, the Druckenmillers have been actively fundraising and advising on institutional long-term planning.

"Knowledgeable and passionate about science and medicine, the Druckenmillers conceptualized this gift out of interest in the healthy brain and understanding how the brain functions," said Ken Langone, chairman of the board of trustees at the NYU Langone Medical Center. "We are especially grateful that they have chosen to support neuroscience, one of the Medical Center's strategic areas."