BrightFocus Foundation Lauds Bill Gates Alzheimer’s Initiative

The following statement was issued today by BrightFocus Foundation President and CEO Stacy Pagos Haller:

“BrightFocus Foundation lauds today’s historic announcement by Bill Gates of his $50 million investment in the Dementia Discovery Fund.  A charitable act of this magnitude is a profound example of the courage and the power of philanthropy to tackle society’s most pressing challenges.

The statistics of Alzheimer’s are staggering – 5 million Americans currently with the disease and a new diagnosis every 66 seconds – but the human toll is far greater.  Who among us does not know someone robbed of a lifetime of memories, or know someone caring for a loved one facing a disease with no effective cure or treatment?

In our view, Bill Gates’ approach is the right one – pursue the widest array of scientific ideas as possible.  It would be a tragic disservice to the millions impacted by this disease to allow roadblocks on innovation or narrow the parameters of scientific ingenuity and discovery.  The Alzheimer’s crisis is just too urgent to think small or narrow.

BrightFocus commends the strong leadership of Bill Gates, and looks forward to working side-by-side to defeat Alzheimer’s disease.”

BrightFocus Foundation, through its Alzheimer’s Disease Research program, is currently supporting over 100 projects worldwide, in addition to its Alzheimer’s Fast Track which helps shape the next generation of scientists.  For more information, please visit www.BrightFocus.org