Margaret Bell, a 1973 University College alumna, has a personal interest in Parkinson’s disease, a disorder of the central nervous system that often impairs the sufferer’s motor skills, speech, and other functions. As Bell was beginning to make philanthropic plans for her estate, she wanted to consider programs that would have a personal effect as well as a far-reaching impact.
Bell was introduced to Eva Chi, assistant professor in the Department of Chemical and Nuclear Engineering and member of the School of Engineering’s Center for Biomedical Engineering team (CBME). Chi’s lab is investigating the and tangles found in the brains of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease research will help advance the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of such diseases. Bell liked what she heard about Chi’s work and found a match for her personal passion, resulting in a significant estate gift to support CBME research on neurodegenerative diseases.
Bell, who had a 30+ year career in federal government marketing, contracting, and management, is currently an associate broker with Signature Southwest Properties. Bell says, “I believe that an endowment created through planned or estate gifting is a true statement of a donor’s confidence that an institution is and will continue to conduct cutting-edge research long into the future.”