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Billionaire investor Bill Ackman is funding a major new neuroscience centre in New York that aims to accelerate research into the brain and develop new treatments for neurological diseases. The Ackman Oxman Institute, named after Ackman and his wife, designer and researcher Neri Oxman, will occupy a campus of up to 700,000 square feet on Manhattan's Upper West Side after the purchase of two neighbouring properties.
The institute was inspired by a deeply personal event. Earlier this year, Ackman's daughter survived a severe brain haemorrhage after being undiscovered for many hours. Her recovery prompted the family to invest around $260 million in a centre dedicated to improving understanding of the brain and advancing therapies for conditions ranging from neurological injuries to age-related brain disorders.
The facility will bring together experts from multiple scientific disciplines to study the brain from different perspectives, including genetics, nutrition, rehabilitation and longevity. By encouraging collaboration between researchers and clinicians, the institute hopes to speed up the translation of laboratory discoveries into new treatments for patients.
Although the institute is still in its early stages, the project represents one of the largest private investments in neuroscience in recent years. Supporters believe that combining expertise across fields could help unlock new insights into how the brain functions, ages and recovers from disease or injury.
