Brigham and Women’s Hospital announces the creation of the Charles and Amelia Gould Center for Asthma and Pulmonary Disease Research. The center is the result of visionary philanthropy totaling $17.5 million from the Charles and Amelia Gould Revocable Trust and the generosity of the late Amelia “Margie” Gould, who made improving the lives of children and adults with asthma part of her personal legacy. In addition, the Brigham named the Charles and Amelia Gould Lung Center A, our outpatient clinic for pulmonary patients, in honor of their philanthropy.
“Margie’s beloved husband, Charles, lost his life to an asthma attack,” says Denise Caminite, a trustee of the Gould Trust. “She was devastated by this sudden loss and wanted to do everything she could to prevent suffering for others. I can’t imagine a better way to honor her and Charles’ legacy than a center dedicated to advancing research and care for asthma—or a better place to establish it than the Brigham.
“There are countless medical geniuses all over the world,” Caminite adds. “But to find medical geniuses with heart—that’s rare. And that’s what we found at the Brigham.”
“The Brigham is home to world leaders in the study and treatment of asthma and other pulmonary diseases,” says Robert S.D. Higgins, MD, MSHA, president of the Brigham and executive vice president at Mass General Brigham. “We are truly grateful for Margie’s visionary generosity, and for the dedication of her estate’s trustees, including Denise Caminite and Joseph Pareres, who are stewarding her legacy by fueling promising research underway at the Brigham.”
Bruce Levy, MD, and Elliot Israel, MD, two of the country’s foremost asthma clinician-scientists, will serve as co-directors of the Gould Center for Asthma and Pulmonary Disease Research and lead its work to advance research, education, and clinical innovation related to asthma and other pulmonary conditions. Collaborators for 30-plus years, Levy and Israel have spearheaded a large body of research investigating new asthma therapies, as well as treatment guidelines used to care for patients nationwide.
“Across the country, more than 25 million children and adults are living with asthma, making it one of the most common health conditions today—and rates are increasing worldwide,” says Levy, interim chair of the Brigham’s Department of Medicine, co-director of the Lung Center, and chief of the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine. “The Gould Center will allow us to expand ongoing research and launch new studies with the goal of developing better treatments for asthma.”
“Over the years, the Brigham has built a strong research program and talented team of innovators dedicated to better understanding and treating asthma and pulmonary diseases in general,” says Israel, director of clinical research in the Brigham’s Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine.
“The Gould Trust’s generosity is the catalyst we needed to really accelerate this work and bring discoveries to those who need them most—patients and their families. We are grateful for the Gould Trust’s investment and belief in our work, and for Margie’s commitment to making life better for all those who suffer from asthma.”
About Brigham and Women's Hospital
Brigham and Women’s Hospital is a founding member of Mass General Brigham and a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School. With nearly 1,000 inpatient beds, approximately 50,000 inpatient stays, and over 2.6 million outpatient encounters annually, clinicians across the Brigham provide compassionate, high-quality care in virtually every medical and surgical specialty to patients locally, regionally, nationally and around the world. An international leader in basic, clinical, and translational research, Brigham and Women’s Hospital has nearly 5,000 scientists, including physician-investigators, renowned biomedical researchers and faculty supported by nearly $750 million in funding. The Brigham’s medical preeminence and service to the community dates to 1832, with the opening of the Boston Lying In, one of the nation's first maternity hospitals designed to care for women unable to afford in-home medical care. Its merger with the Free Hospital for Women resulted in the Boston Hospital for Women in 1966. In 1980, the Boston Hospital for Women, the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital and the Robert Breck Brigham Hospital officially merged to become Brigham and Women’s Hospital. With nearly 21,000 employees across the Brigham family – including the Brigham and Women’s Physicians Organization and Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital – that rich history is the foundation for our commitment to providing superb care for some of the most complex cases, pursuing breakthroughs in biomedical research, training the next generation of health care providers, and serving the local and global community.
