Gorrie Family Gives UAB $10 Million for Alzheimer's Center, Prompting Renaming

Q: Will UAB's research also prioritize scalable, low-cost prevention strategies over expensive, high-tech drug therapies?

Not explicitly. The available information shows UAB is pursuing both tracks, but it does not say the new investment will prioritize low-cost prevention over high-tech drug treatment. The clearest near-term emphasis in the gift announcement is expansion of clinical trials, specialist training, and access to advanced therapies. UAB already runs one of the nation’s largest anti-amyloid treatment programs, with more than 300 patients receiving newer FDA-approved drugs such as lecanemab and donanemab. The $10 million gift is described as a way to increase trials, recruit experts, and broaden dementia care statewide. At the same time, UAB has meaningful evidence of interest in scalable prevention. Its long-running ACTIVE study found that speed-of-processing cognitive training reduced dementia risk by 25 percent over 20 years, and that type of intervention is relatively low-cost and broadly deployable. The university’s outreach plans through the Alabama Memory and Alzheimer’s Network, caregiver training, and community partnerships also point to a broader public-health approach rather than a drugs-only strategy. So the best reading is that UAB’s Alzheimer’s agenda is mixed: strong investment in expensive, cutting-edge therapies alongside prevention, early detection, caregiver support, and community-based care. Based on the material provided, there is not enough evidence to say prevention will take priority over drug therapies, only that it remains part of UAB’s overall strategy.

3 articles · Updated · University of Alabama at Birmingham · Jun 15

$10 million from the Gorrie family will expand Alzheimer’s research, education, patient care and outreach at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, whose trustees approved renaming the program the Frances Gorrie Alzheimer’s Disease Center.
UAB said the gift will fund more clinical trials, endowed faculty posts and fellowship training as demand rises for dementia specialists and newer anti-amyloid therapies have shown they can slow disease progression by up to 30%.
Alabama faces acute pressure: more than 103,600 residents live with Alzheimer’s, nearly 12% of seniors are affected, and the state had the nation’s sixth-highest Alzheimer’s death rate in 2024.
The center, founded in 1991, also plans to widen caregiver training and statewide support through the Alabama Memory and Alzheimer’s Network as the U.S. Alzheimer’s population of more than 7 million is projected to nearly double by 2050.

Sources

University of Alabama at Birmingham2d ago

Gorrie Family Donates $10 Million to UAB for Alzheimer's Research, Center Renamed

Business Alabama Magazine2d ago

Gorrie family makes $10 million gift to UAB to fight Alzheimer's

University of Alabama at Birmingham2d ago

Frances and Miller Gorrie’s $10 Million Gift Accelerates Alzheimer’s Innovation at UAB

Overview

Frances and Miller Gorrie made a landmark gift to support Alzheimer’s research at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, building on their long-standing history of philanthropy in education and healthcare. Their personal connection to the cause and awareness of Alabama’s urgent public health needs inspired this major contribution. The University of Alabama System Board of Trustees recognized their impact by naming Gorrie Hall after the family, a facility that will foster innovation and train future engineers. This new gift further strengthens UAB’s ability to advance Alzheimer’s research, expand clinical trials, and improve care for patients across Alabama.

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