About the Center
In 2020, Joy Chambers-Grundy graciously donated $6 million to create the Chambers Grundy Center for Transformative Neuroscience in the Department of Brain Health, School of Integrated Health Sciences at UNLV. The Chambers-Grundy Center for Transformative Neuroscience provides an academic platform for research and learning opportunities regarding the study of drug development for Alzheimer's disease and other brain disorders. It includes a clinical trials observatory for tracking new treatments, trial designs, and biomarkers in clinical trials for neurodegenerative disorders.
The Center also hosts a trial technology incubator to promote the development and implementation of new biomarkers, outcome measures, and technologies as well as the appropriate means of analyzing the data generated.
The Center serves as a collaboratory for interdisciplinary dialogue and research on key aspects of drug development and engages students in drug development-related activities; acquainting them with career opportunities in pharmaceutical and biotechnology research.
Vision
The vision of the Chambers-Grundy Center for Transformative Neuroscience is to become the global research leader in tracking, predicting, and facilitating the development of new therapies for brain disorders.
Mission
The mission of the Chambers-Grundy Transformative Neuroscience Initiative is to accelerate the development of new therapies for patients with central nervous system (CNS) disorders.
Tactics and Strategies
- The vision and mission will be accomplished through study of CNS drug development, biomarkers, trial technology and trial design in the clinical trials observatory.
- Impediments to CNS drug development will be addressed in the interdisciplinary collaboratory.
- Teaching and training of future drug development leaders and entrepreneurs will be conducted in the CTN Academy.
- Improved clinical trial designs will be addressed in the clinical trial design accelerator.
- New clinical trial definitions, measures, and outcomes will be developed in the trial technology incubator.
- A knowledge-to-action (K2A) framework defines our commitment to translate knowledge to transformative action and improved drug development.
Chambers Grundy
Reg Grundy and Joy Chambers-Grundy
Reg Grundy and Joy Chambers-Grundy were both successful entrepreneurs in Australian and international media and television production.
Reg Grundy was the producer of popular Australian shows such as Blakey Blanks, Match Game, Wheel of Fortune, etc. He was also involved in creating and producing soap operas such as Prisoner, The Young Doctors, Sons and Daughters, and Neighbuors. His shows were watched by hundreds of millions of individuals and he was later inducted in the Logie Hall of Fame. Furthermore, Reg Grundy was named Officer of the British Empire in 1983 and Companion of the Order of Australia, that nation’s highest honor, in 2008. He also received an honorary doctorate from the University of Queensland.
Joy Chambers-Grundy began her television career as a writer and production assistant in Queensland, Australia in the early 1960s. She became an actress in the 1970s and played roles in dramas and other television series. A role in the international hit “Neighbours” made her a household name throughout the United Kingdom. Afterwards, her passion shifted to writing successful novels and poems.
Philanthropy
Reg Grundy and Joy Chambers-Grundy eventually shifted their interest to funding research relating to neurological disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. Unfortunately, Reg Grundy passed away in 2016 prompting Joy Chamber-Grundy to take the initiative to assist in the scientific goal of finding better treatments and/or cures to these devastating brain diseases. “My darling late husband, Reg, and I have always been drawn to support this wonderful cause that aims to end the suffering for so many people,” says Joy Chambers-Grundy.
In 2020, Joy Chambers-Grundy graciously donated $6 million to create the The Chambers Grundy Center for Transformative Neuroscience in the Department of Brain Health, School of Integrated Health Sciences at UNLV. The Center, and her vision, offers hope to patients and families suffering from neurodegenerative diseases (i.e. Alzheimer’s disease) and other neurological disorders. The goal of the Center is to become the global research leader in tracking, predicting, and facilitating the development and acceleration of new therapies for brain disorders and diseases with some of the top neurodegenerative experts in the world. Additionally, the Center will assist in involving trainees from different scientific fields and function as a research and education resource for the community.
Endowment
The Grundy’s also established an endowed chair for UNLV’s Department of Brain Health held by Dr. Jefferson W. Kinney, as well as an endowed professorship held by Dr. Jeffrey Cummings.
Joy Chambers Grundy hopes that “scientists across the world can collaborate with Dr. Cummings and other top researchers at UNLV to find treatments for brain disorders and help people thrive in their daily lives.”
The Professor and the Team
In 2019, Jeffrey L. Cummings, MD, ScD, joined the UNLV School of Integrated Health Science as a research professor in the Department of Brain Health. Dr. Cummings is ranked in the top 0.01% of scientists, and #5 in Alzheimer’s disease research in a recent publication in PLoS Biology. He is a world-renowned Alzheimer’s researcher and leader of clinical trials.
Prior to UNLV, Dr. Cummings served as founding director of the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas, and as director of the Mary S. Easton Center for Alzheimer’s Disease Research, and director of the Deane F. Johnson Center for Neurotherapeutics, both at UCLA.
Dr. Cummings is the inaugural holder of the Chambers-Grundy Center for Transformative Neuroscience Professorship. He is a leader in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) clinical trials and academic aspects of drug development. His more than 800 peer-reviewed academic peer-reviewed publications and 44 books address Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, NDD, clinical trials, and treatment development. He is deeply committed to discovery of methods for accelerating the development of new and transformative treatments for brain diseases. His papers on drug development are among the most widely cited in the field and have become influential in drug development programs in both academics and the biotechnology industry.
While continuing to lead some research efforts at the LRCBH, Dr. Cummings has assumed a major role in the UNLV Department of Brain Health as Vice Chair for Research. His responsibilities as the director of the Chambers-Grundy Center are to collaborate with Dr. Jefferson W. Kinney, the founding chair of the Department of Brain Health, and Dr. Kate Zhong, adjunct professor and Brainnovation founder, to create the Center’s vision and mission.
