Alzheimer’s Association Recognizes Top Private Funders of Research

– Awards presented to long-time St. Louis-based supporters and a research and investment firm –

CHICAGO, July 22, 2018 — The Alzheimer’s Association has named Joanne Knight and her late husband, Charles F. “Chuck” Knight, of St. Louis and FBRI LLC, as the 2018 recipients of the Jerome H. Stone Philanthropy Award for Alzheimer’s Research. The honorees will receive their awards during the opening plenary session of the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference 2018 (AAIC 2018) in Chicago.

The annual award honors individuals and organizations that have had significant impact on the global Alzheimer’s research field.

The Knights generously contributed $15 million to Washington University in St. Louis for the advancement of Alzheimer’s disease research. The university named its Charles F. and Joanne Knight Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC) in their honor. The Knight ADRC is one of 32 centers funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) to facilitate research on Alzheimer’s disease and related brain disorders. The center and its clinical research arm — the Memory and Aging Project (MAP) — lead the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network (DIAN) Observational Study and the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer’s Network Trials Unit (DIAN-TU).

Joanne Knight is a long-time board member and former chair of the Alzheimer’s Association Greater Missouri Chapter. She became active in the fight against Alzheimer’s after her mother developed dementia in the 1980s. Her late husband, Chuck, CEO of Emerson Electric Company for nearly three decades, died of Alzheimer’s disease in September 2017. The couple made many gifts to the Alzheimer’s Association in conjunction with Emerson Electric while Mr. Knight was CEO.

“The Knights have given generously of their time and talent,” said Harry Johns, president and CEO of the Alzheimer’s Association. “Their remarkable service to others truly exemplifies the spirit of the Alzheimer’s Association Founding President Jerome H. Stone.”

FBRI LLC, is being recognized for its entrepreneurial spirit and partnerships to advance the goal of effectively treating and preventing Alzheimer’s disease. The firm funds early-stage research in academia and industry around the world that advances the discovery of novel therapeutic agents as well as biomarker and technology development. FBRI also helps launch and guide new businesses in the field and is a founding investor in several Alzheimer’s Disease focused biotech companies. FBRI also runs the Alzforum website (https://www.alzforum.org), an open-access news and information resource that reports the latest scientific findings and industry news.

“Through its leadership, FBRI reflects Jerome H. Stone’s commitment and strategy to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease,” said Johns.

Established in 2013, the Stone Award is named in honor of Jerome Stone, primary founder of the Alzheimer’s Association. He was among the first to call for an investment in Alzheimer’s research and established the Association in 1980 in loving memory of his late wife, Evelyn T. Stone, who had Alzheimer’s disease. Previous Stone Award recipients include: The Zenith Society (2013), Selim Zilkha and Mary Hayley (2014), GHR Foundation and MetLife Foundation (2015), Jerre and Mary Joy Stead (2016) and Michaela “Mikey” Hoag (2017).

The Alzheimer’s Association is committed to accelerating the global effort to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease and to recognizing the efforts of researchers who further our understanding about this devastating disease. As the worldwide nonprofit leader in funding Alzheimer’s research, the Association continues to directly fund cutting-edge research with approximately $160 million accelerating advances in 21 countries around the world.

The Alzheimer’s Association International Conference^® (AAIC^®)
The Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) is the world’s largest gathering of researchers from around the world focused on Alzheimer’s and other dementias. As a part of the Alzheimer’s Association’s research program, AAIC serves as a catalyst for generating new knowledge about dementia and fostering a vital, collegial research community.
AAIC 2018 home page: aaic.alz.org/
AAIC 2018 newsroom: aaic.alz.org/press.asp

About the Alzheimer's Association^®
The Alzheimer’s Association is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer's care, support and research. Our mission is to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research, to provide and enhance care and support for all affected, and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer’s. Visit alz.org or call 800.272.3900.

Media Contacts: 
Alzheimer’s Association AAIC Press Office, 312-949-8710, aaicmedia@alz.org
Jann Ingmire, Alzheimer's Association, 312-335-5704, jlingmire@alz.org