$50 million gift to launch the Lurie Autism Institute

A $50 million gift to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and Penn Medicine will create an ambitious joint initiative called the Lurie Autism Institute to drive discoveries with transformative impact for those living with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The gift, from the Lurie family, is the largest single donation to U.S. academic medical centers focused on autism research across the lifespan.

Over 75 million people worldwide are living with ASD, including one in 31 children and one in 45 adults in the U.S. The Lurie family’s investment will strategically leverage CHOP and Penn Medicine’s strengths in autism research and translation to seek answers to the most challenging and important questions around ASD. Rooted in a collaboration between world-renowned centers in pediatric research and academic medicine, the Institute leverages a shared commitment to innovation to turn bold ideas into tangible change. This first-of-its kind Institute aims to be a global hub for autism research that connects scientists, clinicians, families, students, and donors.

“We established the Lurie Autism Institute to spark a new era of scientific discovery in autism. CHOP and Penn Medicine bring unmatched expertise and a proven record of innovation, and together, they have the tools to unlock answers that have eluded the field for far too long,” says Jeffrey Lurie, Chairman and CEO of the Philadelphia Eagles and founder of the Eagles Autism Foundation. “By investing in cutting-edge science and the infrastructure to move it forward, we’re aiming not just to understand autism more deeply—but to transform what’s possible for individuals and families worldwide.”

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Powered by Penn Medicine and CHOP’s long history of partnering on transformative breakthroughs for the care of both children and adults, the Lurie Autism Institute is poised to make fresh discoveries that will reshape how we understand and treat autism.

Together, Penn Medicine and CHOP have joined forces to produce some of the most important scientific breakthroughs of the last 20 years, including lifesaving vaccines, the first FDA-approved CAR T cell therapy for cancers, gene therapy for blindness, hemophilia and neurologic disorders, and the first personalized, CRISPR-based gene-editing therapy for rare metabolic diseases. The two institutions are also home to a host of pediatric-to-adult transition programs, including those for sickle cell anemia, congenital heart disease, digestive diseases and Williams syndrome that help families navigate the path to healthier adulthoods with chronic conditions.

“This gift will harness our longstanding, combined expertise to advance much-needed research to help people with autism spectrum disorder,” says Jonathan A. Epstein, dean of the Perelman School of Medicine and executive vice president of the University of Pennsylvania for the Health System. “The Lurie Family’s commitment to this critical area of focus is inspiring, and we greatly appreciate the trust placed in us as we accelerate the next generation of ASD research and treatment.”

“The Lurie Autism Institute will enable us to find quicker and better answers for children and adults living with this complex condition,” says Madeline Bell, CEO of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “We are so grateful to the Lurie Family for their ongoing support of autism research, which will build on the success of established programs like the Center for Autism Research at CHOP and the Autism Spectrum Program of Excellence at Penn by bringing the top experts in the field together to make breakthroughs in autism research and care.” 

The Institute will lead a bold effort to transform the understanding and care of autism, including efforts to:

• Develop a better understanding of the genetics and complex biological processes underlying autism, including the role of environmental and epigenetic factors in its development;

• Uncover how the diverse behaviors among the autism spectrum manifest and evolve across the lifespan

• Develop more advanced lab models to understand how autism impacts brain function across the lifespan

• Explore why some individuals with autism have minimal speaking ability, using insights from brain and language science

• Use AI to analyze large-scale biological and behavioral data to identify new treatment targets and existing drugs that may be repurposed for ASD

• Conduct research to study autism-related genes and their potential as therapeutic targets

• Prepare to launch clinical trials that prioritize both behavioral and pharmacological interventions for ASD

• Launch the Next-Generation Program in Autism Bioscience, a certificate program for PhD trainees and postdocs

• Serve as global conveners for the best ideas in the field by hosting an annual International Symposium and awarding the new Lurie Autism Institute Prize for ASD Research

An international search will soon be underway to appoint the Institute’s founding director—a visionary leader with clinical and scientific expertise who will help drive its innovative mission forward.

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The Lurie Family has a long history of supporting individuals living with ASD. In 1977, Nancy Lurie Marks founded the Nancy Lurie Marks Family Foundation (NLMFF) with a mission of helping individuals with autism lead fulfilling and rewarding lives. The NLMFF established the Lurie Center for Autism at Massachusetts General Hospital in 2009, and Jeffrey Lurie created the Eagles Autism Foundation in 2018. The Lurie Autism Institute at CHOP and Penn Medicine will complement and build upon the history of success of these other organizations as well as create new opportunities to understand the fundamental science of autism and improve the lives of individuals with ASD.

“We are honored to be part of making the Lurie Autism Institute possible because we know how much remains to be discovered about the nature of autism; the educational, social, and life issues for individuals and families with autism; and for society’s understanding of autism,” says Nancy Lurie Marks. “CHOP and Penn Medicine have an incredible record of successful collaborations that result in real answers for people, and we know they will come together to accelerate discoveries and therapies for individuals living with ASD.”