The American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science, a nonprofit developing philanthropic support for the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, announced that four Detroit-area philanthropists have recently committed highly impactful gifts to support breakthrough research initiatives.
The American Committee recognizes these generous Michigan philanthropists for their leadership, dedication and vision that will deeply impact global health, medicine, education, technology and more.
The philanthropic partners’ significant gifts include:
- The Andrea L. and Lawrence A. Wolfe Family Foundation’s (Troy) gift establishing the Andrea L. and Lawrence A. Wolfe Family Center for Research on Neuroimmunology and Neuromodulation.
- The William Davidson Foundation’s (Troy) gift in support of the Davidson Institute of Science Education, following decades of transformational gifts, including an endowment.
- Dr. Gil Omenn and Martha Darling’s (Ann Arbor) gift establishing the Dr. Gilbert S. Omenn and Martha A. Darling Weizmann Institute-Schneider Hospital Fund for Clinical Breakthroughs through Scientific Collaborations.
- Ira S. Mondry’s (Birmingham) gift to the Mondry Family President’s Discretionary Fund, expanding exciting research possibilities across disciplines.
“The American Committee and the Weizmann Institute of Science are deeply grateful for the extraordinary generosity of our Michigan philanthropists,” says Dave Doneson, CEO of the American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science.
“Visionary donors like Andi and Larry, the William Davidson Foundation, Gil and Martha, and Ira are helping to make the impossible possible. Their significant, big-hearted gifts are critically important and will have a tremendous impact on brain and neural research, science education, pediatric health advancements, and other multidisciplinary research that will ultimately provide life-changing discoveries and a healthier world for all.”
Making an impact
The Andrea L. and Lawrence A. Wolfe Family Center for Research on Neuroimmunology and Neuromodulation will be a pillar of Weizmann’s Azrieli Institute for Brain and Neural Science, where scientists are building the future of neuroscience by accelerating multidisciplinary research. The Center will investigate brain development, disease and degeneration, with the aim of understanding and modulating the neural/immune interface to enhance healthy brain function.
“Andi and I believe the Wolfe Center for Research on Neuroimmunology and Neuromodulation will be a launching pad for cutting-edge research, opening up exciting possibilities for investigating the causes and pathways of complex human neuroinflammation, and for discovering potential treatments that could transform the lives of millions of people around the world,” Lawrence Wolfe says.
The Davidson Institute of Science Education has grown to be one of the most influential leaders of science literacy and education in Israel since its establishment in 1999 by the late William (Bill) Davidson of Bloomfield Hills, with longstanding magnanimous support from the William Davidson Foundation.
As the science education and literacy arm of the Weizmann Institute of Science, the Davidson Institute of Science Education runs a wide range of programs extending across all STEM areas (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) with a mission to connect people from all realms of Israeli society — including the Arab community, the ultra-Orthodox community, the Ethiopian community, and Israel’s geographically remote and economically disadvantaged populations — to the frontiers of science. Programs like iScience — a collection of online courses, videos, games and articles, as well as virtual labs, lectures, and professional development opportunities — have become a model in digital education.
Devoted to the translational medical research, the Gilbert S. Omenn and Martha A. Darling Weizmann Institute-Schneider Hospital Fund for Clinical Breakthroughs Through Scientific Collaborations will help pediatric practitioners and basic science investigators uncover hidden factors that influence health and disease and pave the way to more effective and personalized pediatric treatment.
The Mondry Family President’s Discretionary Fund will provide Weizmann Institute leadership with the means to quickly respond to scientists’ — and the world’s — dynamic needs. Providing the Institute with flexibility to advance projects despite a gap in grants, cover an unexpected need, mount a response to a crisis or support world-leading neuroscience, Artificial Intelligence, or the Institute’s pioneering efforts to understand the nature of space, time and life itself — from the tiniest subatomic particles to the largest galaxies.
