Mortimer “Mort” Zuckerman, a Canadian-born businessman, gifted $200 million to Columbia University towards the creation of a Mind Brain Behavior Institute. Zuckerman, well known for owning companies such as Fast Company magazine, U.S. News and World Report and New York Daily News was one of the top 200 wealthiest Americans.
“This country has provided me with extraordinary opportunities, and I am glad for the chance to support scientific leadership in a field I believe is so essential to all our lives,” said Zuckerman.
“With an inspiring team of neuroscientists at its core, Columbia’s Mind Brain Behavior Institute is not only researching vital questions about diseases of the brain, especially as we age, it is bringing together talented researchers across many academic fields to address the central questions we face as a society. At its root, this is an investment in accomplished scholars whose collective mission is both greater understanding of the human condition and the discovery of new cures for human suffering. I can hardly think of anything more important than that. I feel deeply privileged to participate in this path-finding venture.”
Once established, the institute will delve into the science that makes up the human brain and push research into neurobiology, neuroscience, biochemistry and molecular biophysics forward. A key focus will be discovering new therapies and cures for some of today’s most devastating mental illnesses such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, ALS, and Autism. Located in the Jerome L. Greene Science Center, the MBBI, led by neurobiologist Dr. Thomas Jessel, will be the central facility for Columbia University’s multi-campus research.
“At its root, this is an investment in accomplished scholars whose collective mission is both greater understanding of the human condition and the discovery of new cures for human suffering,” Zuckerman said. “I can hardly think of anything more important than that.”