ALS Center of Excellence

Pranger ALS Clinic

  • Home
  • About
    • What Is ALS?
    • Scott L. Pranger
    • National Advisory Board
    • Faculty & Staff
    • ALS Center of Excellence Brochure
  • Clinic
    • Services
    • Your Visit to the ALS Clinic
    • Patient Portal
    • Durable Medical Equipment
    • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Research
    • Clinical Trials
    • Observational Studies
    • Participate in Research at U-M
  • News
  • Patient Care Guide
    • Living with ALS
    • Nutrition
    • Patient & Family Support
  • Contact
  • NeuroNetwork
  • Make A Gift

Latest News

photo of Dr. Stephen Goutman

5 Things to Know About ALS

… [Read More...]

StrikeOut ALS a Home Run

… [Read More...]

An Interview With Ben Murdock, PhD, Inaugural Epstein Emerging Scholar

… [Read More...]

Epstein’s Generous Gift to Fund ALS Innovation & Emerging Scholar

… [Read More...]

StrikoutALS Returns May 17 Against Michigan State

… [Read More...]

Epstein’s Generous Gift to Fund ALS Innovation & Emerging Scholar

May 6, 2022

Philanthropy and giving back have long been the cornerstone of Robert and Joan Epstein’s family life.  Therefore, it was only natural that when a beloved long-time employee of Bob’s was diagnosed with ALS, he contacted Dr. Eva Feldman at U of M’s ALS Center of Excellence and inquired about clinical trials and other treatment alternatives.  Later, when Bob learned that another of his employees had a gravely ill child in the hospital, he reached out to Dr. Feldman again and asked if she could help.  After reviewing the child’s medical file with colleagues, Dr. Feldman arranged to have the patient transferred to U of M’s Mott’s Children Hospital, a move Bob and the child’s mother attribute to saving the child’s life.  Still later, a beloved relative of Joan’s developed ALS, and, like Bob before her, Joan reached out to Dr. Feldman for help and wasn’t disappointed.

a photo of Bob Epstein and Joan Chernoff-Epstein

Bob Epstein and Joan Chernoff-Epstein

Bob is a self-employed businessman and Joan serves as an officer and member of numerous boards for not-for-profit organizations.  Bob and Joan care deeply about their community and, in general, about others less fortunate than themselves.  They give not for the recognition or notoriety that oftentimes accompany charitable contributions, but rather for the gratification they get from helping others.  They ordinarily choose to remain anonymous, but in the present instance have decided to make an exception in the hope that news of their contribution to the Pranger ALS Clinic and the ALS Center of Excellence at Michigan Medicine will spur other philanthropists to make similar contributions and support the critically important work of Dr. Feldman and her team.  “There are lots of causes that people can give to,” says Bob, “but none more important or more deserving than Dr. Feldman’s ALS research.  It’s our sincere hope that our support of Dr. Feldman’s research and promising young ALS investigator, Dr. Benjamin Murdock, will lead to meaningful discoveries in ALS prevention and treatment and, hopefully, one day soon a cure.”

The Robert A. Epstein and Joan M. Chernoff-Epstein Emerging Scholar gift and the Robert A. Epstein and Joan M. Chernoff-Epstein Fund for Innovative Therapies were thus born. The chosen Emerging Scholar is Dr. Murdock, a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurology. Dr. Murdock is investigating sex-based differences in the immune system of ALS patients, and the possibility of repurposing an approved immune therapy for the treatment of ALS patients.

Read an interview with Dr. Murdock about his work and the impact of the Emerging Scholarship.

Joan states “With our gift for an Emerging Scholar and our fund for ALS research, we hope to not only impact the people we know who are affected by this devastating disease, but also countless other people around the world suffering from this same malady. We have seen firsthand how this disease has taken its toll not only on our sick friends and relatives but their families as well.  We hope our support of ALS research in general, and Dr. Feldman and Dr. Murdock in particular, will alleviate suffering and bring new hope for improved quality of life or even a cure for the tens of thousands of people suffering from this disease worldwide.”

Dr. Feldman states “Dr. Murdock, the entire staff of the Pranger ALS Clinic, the ALS Center of Excellence at Michigan Medicine, and the NeuroNetwork for Emerging Therapies, as well as myself personally, wish to express our profound gratitude for Bob and Joan Epstein’s gift. Their donation will support our investigations into several aspects of the causes of ALS and therapies to combat the disease, as well as assisting Dr. Murdock in continuing his career as a scientist in ALS research. And on a personal note, getting to know Bob and Joan, and the friendship that I have developed with them, has been very special to me.”

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn

Filed Under: News Tagged With: ALS, Donors, Emerging Scholar

Newsletter Signup

Subscribe to our mailing list for updates regarding our clinic and research

Click Here for the ALS Registry

ALS Center of Excellence at Michigan Medicine ALS Infographic

ALS Brochure

ALS Brochure

 

 

 

 

 

Resources

Organizations

  • ALS Association
  • ALSA-Michigan Chapter
  • Ann Arbor Active Against ALS
  • ALSA-Northern Ohio Chapter
  • ALS of Michigan
  • National ALS Registry
  • Northeast ALS Consortium
  • Muscular Dystrophy Association

Services

  • Veterans Benefits
  • Social Security Benefits

Useful Links

  • U-M Stem Cell Research
  • Center for Stem Cell Biology
  • Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research
  • Society for Stem Cell Research

RSS Research News

  • U-M to establish new Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention
  • U-M Depression Center to be named for Eisenberg family, in recognition of $30M in giving
  • Research on aging expands at U-M with $15M in new grants

Contact Information

Michigan Medicine
1500 E. Medical Center Drive
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Phone: 734-936-4000
Contact Michigan Medicine

Connect With Us

Copyright © 2022 Regents of the University of Michigan · Disclaimer · Privacy Statement

  • About UMHS
  • For Patients
  • For Health Professionals
  • For Researchers
  • Home
  • About
    ▼
    • What Is ALS?
    • Scott L. Pranger
    • National Advisory Board
    • Faculty & Staff
    • ALS Center of Excellence Brochure
  • Clinic
    ▼
    • Services
    • Your Visit to the ALS Clinic
    • Patient Portal
    • Durable Medical Equipment
    • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Research
    ▼
    • Clinical Trials
    • Observational Studies
    • Participate in Research at U-M
  • News
  • Patient Care Guide
    ▼
    • Living with ALS
    • Nutrition
    • Patient & Family Support
  • Contact
  • NeuroNetwork
  • Make A Gift