The investment will fund the Céline Dion Foundation Endowed Chair in Autoimmune Neurology at CU Anschutz

AURORA, Colo., June 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus announced the creation of the Céline Dion Foundation Endowed Chair in Autoimmune Neurology, made possible by a $2 million philanthropic investment from the Céline Dion Foundation.

The investment will fund initiatives to advance research in autoimmune neurological disorders, such as stiff person syndrome (SPS), and support Amanda Piquet, MD, associate professor of neurology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, who has been named the inaugural chairholder. Piquet specializes in diagnosing, treating and advancing research for SPS, a rare, chronic and progressive autoimmune neurologic disease characterized by muscle stiffness, painful spasms and difficulty walking.

Piquet is also the director of the Autoimmune Neurology Program at CU Anschutz, where the program's mission is to provide the best neurological care and improve the well-being of patients with an autoimmune neurological disorder.

Céline Dion, who has been deeply committed to advancing healthcare for all, was diagnosed with SPS in 2022 and is an advocate for supporting all who have been affected by the disease. Dion is being treated for SPS by Piquet at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital on the CU Anschutz Medical Campus.

The disease currently has no cure but can be managed with symptomatic and immune therapies to make quality of life better. 

This gift will help boost this field of study and expedite research discoveries, ensuring that individuals receive the most informed treatments as they become available. To enable this vision, this investment will support the following key priorities:

• To support the new endowed chair and her efforts to expand research and develop a deeper understanding of SPS and other rare autoimmune neurological disorders.
• To expand CU Anschutz's autoimmune neurologic disease registry and biorepository. Increasing the volume of data will provide more insights into the underlying pathophysiology and triggers of SPS, leading to improved therapeutic approaches.  
• To more quickly identify the patterns in symptoms people are experiencing to diagnose the disease earlier and provide solutions that will lead to a better quality of life for patients.

"SPS and other rare autoimmune neurological disorders can be difficult to diagnose and treat because they often affect individuals differently. This generous gift from the Céline Dion Foundation and the overall increased awareness for SPS will change the future of not only diagnosing the disease but will catapult research efforts to explore new approaches of treatment," said Piquet.

The $2 million investment will be provided to the campus over the next five years and allow Piquet to build upon her current success treating patients with rare autoimmune neurological disorders.

About the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus is a world-class medical destination at the forefront of transformative science, medicine, education and patient care. The campus encompasses the University of Colorado health professional schools, more than 60 centers and institutes, and two nationally ranked independent hospitals - UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital and Children's Hospital Colorado – which see more than 2 million adult and pediatric patient visits yearly. Innovative, interconnected and highly collaborative, the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus delivers life-changing treatments, patient care and professional training and conducts world-renowned research fueled by $705 million in research grants. For more information, visit www.cuanschutz.edu.

Contact: Julia Milzer, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 303-725-0733, Julia.Milzer@cuanschutz.edu

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SOURCE University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus