WOODS HOLE, Mass. -- The Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) today announced a $25 million gift of unrestricted support from Mark Terasaki, an MBL Whitman Scientist and Associate Professor in the University of Connecticut Health Center’s Department of Cell Biology. The gift will provide $5 million annually for the next five years to support core operations and infrastructure for MBL’s education and research programs. “Mark’s gift is the largest private contribution that MBL has received in its 137-year history,” said MBL Board Chairman Bill Huyett. “Beyond reflecting his extraordinary generosity, Mark’s support is notable for its purpose: helping to underwrite the scientific and administrative infrastructure that sustains the excellence of our training and research programs and the impact they deliver. Unrestricted support is invaluable—it allows us to adapt to the rapidly evolving world of basic research and ensure our programs deliver the greatest possible impact.”

The brain’s health depends on more than just its neurons. A complex network of blood vessels and immune cells acts as the brain’s dedicated guardians—controlling what enters, cleaning up waste, and protecting it from threats by forming the blood-brain barrier. A new study from Gladstone Institutes reveals that many genetic risk factors for neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s and stroke exert their effects within these very guardian cells.