Feb 3, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie walks across the field during Super Bowl LIX Opening Night at Ceasars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee
Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie and his family are gifting $50 million to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Penn Medicine for autism research.
The gift is set to establish the "Lurie Autism Institute," which will be dedicated to autism research and care. The gift is the single largest donation to U.S. academic medical centers focused on researching autism across the lifespan.
Lurie is largely known for helping cultivate one of the best franchises in the NFL, but his charitable work has also been key for him within the Philadelphia community. Autism has been a focus of his philanthropic work, establishing the Eagles Autism Foundation in 2019. Since its inception, the foundation has raised over $40 million for autism research and care programs. Lurie's latest action is example of his charitable work.
"We established the Lurie Autism Institute to spark a new era of scientific discovery in autism. CHOP and Penn Medicine bring unmatched expertise and a proven record of innovation, and together, they have the tools to unlock answers that have eluded the field for far too long," Lurie said in press release from Penn Today. "By investing in cutting-edge science and the infrastructure to move it forward, we're aiming not just to understand autism more deeply—but to transform what's possible for individuals and families worldwide.
According to the release, the institute "will lead a bold effort to transform the understanding of autism." That includes a litany of topics like developing a better understanding the genetics of autism, uncovering how diverse behaviors among the autism spectrum manifest and change during the lifespan, as well as many others.
A search will start soon to appoint the institute's founding director.
