Program Highlights in Science
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If/Then
If/Then, an extension of Lyda Hill Philanthropies’ commitment to fund game-changing advancements in science and nature, seeks to further advance women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) by empowering current innovators and inspiring the next generation of pioneers. The initiative aims to create a platform to elevate positive and successful female STEM professionals with a focus on funding their work and sharing their stories, developing and supporting programs for middle school girls to learn about STEM opportunities and engaging media partners to help shift the perception of women in STEM. If/Then’s mission is to inspire the next generation of girls to pursue careers in STEM.
For more information, visit:
www.ifthenshecan.org -
MD Anderson Cancer Center
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is one of the world’s most respected centers devoted exclusively to cancer patient care, research, education and prevention. It is located in central Houston in the Texas Medical Center.
Project Highlight: Moon Shots Program
Lyda Hill’s passionate belief that ‘science is the answer’ motivated her to take action, making a $50 million grant to The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Moon Shots Program™. Inspired by America’s drive a generation ago to put a man on the moon, the Moon Shots Program is a comprehensive action plan to make a giant leap for patients, and to rapidly and dramatically reduce mortality and suffering of several major cancers.
For more information, visit:
www.mdanderson.org/cancermoonshots/about.html -
Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute for Texas
Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute (MMHPI) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization working to change the condition of mental health in Texas. MMHPI brings together diverse mental health resources and services to identify and affect the policies, practices and recommendations that impact how health care is implemented.
Project Highlight: Seed Funding
Recognizing that people with mental illness can live productive and successful lives with the necessary treatment and support, Lyda Hill Philanthropies joined The Meadows Foundation by seeding MMHPI with a $10 million grant to formally launch in 2014 and another large grant in 2018 to further its mission.
For more information, visit:
www.texasstateofmind.org -
National Geographic Society
The National Geographic Society is a leading nonprofit that invests in bold people and transformative ideas in the fields of exploration, scientific research, storytelling and education. The Society aspires to create a community of change, advancing key insights about the planet and probing some of the most pressing scientific questions of our time, all while ensuring that the next generation is armed with geographic knowledge and global understanding. Its goal is measurable impact: furthering exploration and educating people around the world to inspire solutions for the greater good.
Project Highlight: Women Explorers
In 2018, Lyda Hill made a $1 million grant to the National Geographic Society, dedicated to supporting female scientists and explorers. The gift will provide more than 60 female National Geographic Explorers much-needed capital and support to gain new skills in their fields, travel to and participate in conferences, take advantage of career-building opportunities, invest in professional development, and cover family and dependent care costs. In addition, the grant will support an exploration fellowship and several grants to mid-career female Explorers.
Other Projects Include:
Lyda Hill Philanthropies has supported many National Geographic Explorers over the years, including:
- Gregg Treinish, Founder and Executive Director of Adventure Scientists
- Jess Cramp, Shark researcher, marine conservationist and Founder of Sharks Pacific
- Lee Berger, Paleoanthropologist and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence
- Rae Wynn-Grant, Large carnivore ecologist and current National Geographic Society fellow
- Sarah Parcak, Space archaeologist and Founder and President of GlobalXplorer
- Topher White, Engineer, physicist, inventor and Founder of Rainforest Connection
For more information, visit:
www.nationalgeographic.org -
Parkland Foundation
Parkland Health & Hospital System first opened its doors in 1894 and is now one of the largest public hospital systems in the country. The hospital averages more than 1.2 million patient visits annually. Services include a Level I Trauma Center, the second largest civilian burn center in the U.S. and a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The system also includes 20 community-based clinics, 12 school-based clinics and numerous outreach and education programs. Parkland is the primary teaching hospital for the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.
Project Highlight: Parkland Center for Clinical Innovation (PCCI)
PCCI is an advanced, nonprofit healthcare analytics R&D organization with a team of expert data scientists and knowledgeable healthcare professionals that go beyond analyzing a patient’s medical data to provide all-encompassing insights that are revolutionizing healthcare. PCCI’s mission is to reimagine and expand the knowledge base of healthcare through prescriptive analytics and artificial intelligence to deliver precision medicine. Lyda Hill Philanthropies’ gift to the Parkland Foundation/PCCI toward the development of technology in the new Parkland campus enables one of the top public hospitals in the country to be a trailblazer in reimagining the hospital of the future. To date, Lyda Hill Philanthropies’ gift has impacted over 1.2 million patient lives, enabled Parkland to realize a cost savings of over $18 million through PCCI-developed solutions and advanced 13 projects and six predictive models that improve patient safety and patient-centered and value-based care.
Other Projects Include:
- Comprehensive Breast Center
For more information, visit:
www.pccinnovation.org/ -
Perot Museum of Nature and Science
The Perot Museum of Nature and Science’s mission is to inspire minds through nature and science. The Perot Museum of Nature and Science located in Victory Park, near Downtown Dallas, is said to be a “world of wonder” by The Dallas Morning News. Passing the test of school children, inspiring curiosity in all ages and acting as a living science lesson, the Museum opened its doors to the public on Dec. 1, 2012 and has seen over four million visitors to date.
Project Highlight: STEM Education
In addition to significant support for the initial construction, design and endowment of the museum, Lyda Hill Philanthropies supports ongoing science and educational programs and exhibits. The Perot Museum exposes children to a world of ideas and concepts in science, math and technology, all within one spectacular location. By offering hands-on learning about scientific evidence, mathematical concepts and natural history, the Museum will profoundly affect how our kids experience science and nature.
For more information, visit:
www.perotmuseum.org -
Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children
Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children treats many of the world’s most complex orthopedic cases, as well as certain related arthritic and neurological disorders and learning disorders, such as dyslexia. For example, researchers at Scottish Rite Hospital are constantly searching for ways to improve treatment, care and diagnosis for children with developmental disabilities.
Project Highlight:
Recognizing that people with orthopedic conditions such as scoliosis, clubfoot, hand differences, hip disorders, sports injuries and fractures, as well as certain related arthritic and neurological disorders and learning disorders deserve specialized diagnosis, management and treatment by experts, Lyda Hill supported Scottish Rite’s first capital campaign in 97 years, The Boundless Centennial Campaign. The Campaign celebrates the hospital’s first century of milestones and accomplishments while paving the way for the next 100 years of discovery and innovation, and Miss Hill’s gift is funding much needed state-of-the-art equipment to assist in childrens care.
For more information, visit:
scottishritehospital.org -
The Pew Charitable Trusts
The Pew Charitable Trusts is a global research and public policy organization driven by the power of knowledge to solve today’s most challenging problems. Lyda Hill has a long-standing philanthropic relationship with Pew and has supported its researchers, advocacy experts and strategists across a number of its global programs.
Project Highlight: Antibiotic Resistance
Lyda Hill’s interest in advancing science has also led her to support Pew’s work to encourage the development of new antibiotics and improve the efficiency of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s ability to promote safe and effective medical treatments and advance drug and medical device innovation.
Other Projects Include:
- Ending Illegal Fishing Project
- Global Ocean Legacy
- Protecting Life in the Arctic
- Restore America’s Parks
- Safe Food Project
For more information, visit:
/www.pewtrusts.org/en/about/philanthropic-partnerships/lyda-hill-foundation -
UT Southwestern Medical Center
UT Southwestern, one of the premier academic medical centers in the nation, integrates pioneering biomedical research with exceptional clinical care and education. The institution’s faculty includes many distinguished members, including six who have been awarded Nobel Prizes since 1985. The faculty of more than 2,700 is responsible for groundbreaking medical advances and is committed to translating science-driven research quickly to new clinical treatments. UT Southwestern physicians provide medical care in 40 specialties to about 92,000 hospitalized patients and oversee approximately 2.1 million outpatient visits a year.
Project Highlight: Lyda Hill Department of Bioinformatics
In 2015, her $25 million gift funded the establishment of the Lyda Hill Department of Bioinformatics to bridge research and clinical care. The Department is dedicated to developing UT Southwestern’s capability in bioinformatics, a discipline that provides tools for managing and analyzing the extremely large data sets that are increasingly key to addressing the most important scientific and medical challenges. Finding the patterns in these data sets has become an essential component of biomedical discovery and is crucial to developing new therapeutic strategies and to understanding the foundations of life and the defects that cause disease.
Other Projects Include:
- Advancing Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Delivery
- The Cecil H. and Ida Green Comprehensive Center for Molecular, Computational and Systems Biology
- The Center for the Genetics of Host Defense
- The Dennis Stone Fund
- Transverse Myelitis and Neuromyelitis Optica Program
For more information, visit:
www.utsouthwestern.edu/departments/bioinformatics/