Aurora Health Care’s Center for Integrative Research on Cardiovascular Aging, located at Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center in Milwaukee, has received a $2 million donation from the former leader of Qatar, Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani.
The center will be renamed the Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani Center for Integrative Research on Cardiovascular Aging.
“We are extremely grateful for the generosity of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani,” said Dr. Nick Turkal, president and chief executive officer of Aurora Health Care. “This gift will go a long way in furthering the important work of Drs. A. Jamil Tajik and Arshad Jahangir and their cardiovascular aging research teams at Aurora Health Care.”
Sheikh Khalifa reigned as the Emir of Qatar from 1972 until 1995.
“Receiving this generous gift from across the globe to further advance the science of cardiovascular health validates the importance and the international reach of the work we do at Aurora,” said Dr. A. Jamil Tajik, president of cardiovascular services at Aurora Health Care and personal cardiologist to the Sheikh.
In a release, Aurora said cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among men and women of all racial and ethnic groups in Wisconsin and is a prevalent condition among the elderly. In addition, Wisconsin’s aging population is growing—increasing by 10.6 percent since 2000 per recent U.S. Census reports.
Aurora’s Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani Center for Integrative Research on Cardiovascular Aging is one of the few research centers in the country devoted entirely to study the effect of aging on the cardiovascular system, Aurora said. Its mission is to support and conduct clinical and basic research on the biology of aging and to develop diagnostic, predictive and therapeutic interventions to preserve wellness, prevent age-related cardiovascular dysfunction and improve the quality of life of older people.
“This gift will help us continue this important research to improve the quality of life of seniors in our communities and around the world,” said Dr. Arshad Jahangir, program director at Aurora Health Care.
