A generous anonymous donor has made a $300,000 gift to Tulane University to support research. With the growing COVID-19 pandemic hitting the New Orleans community and communities across the globe, their gift to the
Emerging Research in Infectious Disease Fund could not come at a more critical time.
The donor, who requested anonymity, wanted to help address the university’s most pressing priorities and inspire others to do the same. Tulane’s
Emerging Research in Infectious Disease Fund will provide immediate impact for the COVID-19 crisis, from detection to treatment to prevention, by supporting Tulane’s promising research and clinical enterprise.
Tulane University’s Vice President for Research Dr. Giovanni Piedimonte noted that Tulane has been at the forefront of research on emerging infectious diseases since its inception and that it is uniquely positioned to fight COVID-19 today.
“We are studying the virus at the molecular biology level, the cellular level, in small animal models, and we have one of the best primate centers in the world. Last but not least, we have a large patient population and operate in one of the geographical areas with the highest incidence of COVID-19 infection. Thus, we have all of the pieces in place and seamlessly integrated to form a continuous chain that is fundamental to take any idea from bench to bedside,” says Piedimonte.
He added, “This virus is unforgiving. It has a unique ability of hiding and a unique ability of infecting people. The only possible solution is that we find new ways to diagnose it rapidly in a very large portion of the population and we find a safe and effective vaccine or therapy.”
Work is already well underway at Tulane, with top scientists working on new methodologies for rapid testing. Tulane National Primate Research Center’s work on establishing a nonhuman primate model is also leading the way nationally and internationally. And the university is collaborating with a dozen pharmaceutical companies to test their antivirals and vaccines.
Piedimonte was thrilled with the timely support for Tulane’s research enterprise. “We are on the verge of being able to unlock information that could then lead to vaccines and treatments. Gifts today will have an immediate impact on our groundbreaking work.”