Jeffrey Lurie’s $50 million donation to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Penn Medicine is expected to do more than fund new labs, writes Ron Southwick for Chief Healthcare Executive.
The donation could “advance the ball” in autism research. That’s how Daniel Rader, MD, interim director of the new Lurie Autism Institute, describes the potential of the Wynnewood philanthropist’s gift.
The institute aims to become an epicenter for autism research worldwide, uniting CHOP’s pediatric expertise with Penn’s academic strength. Rader says the timing is right. Advances in genetics, epigenetics, and treatment strategies create an opportunity to transform what’s possible for individuals on the spectrum.
For Lurie, longtime owner of the Philadelphia Eagles, the mission is deeply personal. His brother, Peter, is on the autism spectrum, and his family has been committed to autism causes for decades.
Lurie founded the Eagles Autism Foundation in 2018. His mother launched the Nancy Lurie Marks Family Foundation, which created the Lurie Center for Autism at Massachusetts General Hospital.
“We’re aiming not just to understand autism more deeply, Lurie said at the institute’s unveiling, “but to transform what’s possible for individuals and families worldwide.”
To learn more about the Lurie Autism Institute, visit Chief Healthcare Executive.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on MONTCO Today in September 2025.
