Director of the MIND Center Dr. Tom Mosley stated that research into degenerative brain disease has become a top priority as the nation’s population age. The MIND Center continues to be a leader in innovation thanks to this donation. Mosley stated that there is a sense of urgency that cannot be overstated. We’re in a hurry. This will speed up.” Ambassador John Palmer (chair emeritus) of the MIND Center also spoke. He acknowledged that his search for a cure was personal. His wife and his mother-in law both suffered from Alzheimer’s. Palmer stated that there are two other people who motivate me to get involved — my daughters Susan, and Patricia. “My hope for them is that they will have a different future from their grandmother and mother,” Palmer said. The MIND Center was established by UMMC in 2010 through a grant from National Institutes of Health. Mosley stated that UMMC’s involvement in neurodegenerative research dates back to 25-years ago, when the medical center was conducting studies on strokes and obesity. Mosley stated that UMMC is one of few national studies that can look back to see if data predicts future changes. Mosley said that the more we study dementia and brain changes, the earlier they begin, the better our data can predict them. Mosley was involved in that research in the 1990s. He had seen lesions in brain scans from patients in their 40s and 50s which he believed might indicate the onset of neurodegenerative diseases. He said that few people took his advice. Mosley stated, “And now we have shown that these small lesions in 1990s are an early indication.” The Ford MIND Research Center will take up 15,000 square feet of the first floor at the Translational Research Center. It is expected to open in 2017. The west wing will contain research clinic offices. The east wing will accommodate administrative and research space for scientists and staff. This will bring both sides together for first time. Mosley stated that all of our scientists will be together under one roof and that this will encourage discovery and innovation.