Gifts to create endowed professorships help retain distinguished faculty who are making a meaningful impact in their areas of expertise. Income generated from endowed funds supports some of UVA’s most distinguished researchers, such as Dr. Jaideep Kapur. “Support from the Meyer Professorship allows me to focus more time on advancing research that could impact countless lives in the future,” said Dr. Kapur.

Dr. Kapur, who joined the faculty in 1998, is the Eugene Meyer III Professor of Neuroscience. He is also a professor in the Department of Neurology, director of the UVA Brain Institute, and a practicing physician in the Epilepsy Clinic. Under Dr. Kapur’s leadership, the multidisciplinary Brain Institute is bringing together research and educational strengths from across the University, building on recent breakthroughs, and responding to state and national needs. The institute aspires to elevate UVA from “prominence to preeminence” in brain science research, covering areas ranging from focused ultrasound and Alzheimer’s disease to autism, epilepsy, and vision disorders.

The Eugene Meyer III Professorship in the Neurosciences was established in 1983 and made possible by the Island Foundation and Eugene Meyer’s four children. Today, the fund’s value has grown more than 750% to $1.7 million. Dr. Meyer was educated at Yale University and the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, where at the latter taught medicine and psychiatry. He was known as an exceptional teacher whose energy and kindness served as an inspiration to his residents, many of whom went on to distinguished careers in medicine and medical education.

Endowments are permanent, self-sustaining sources of funding that are invested for long-term capital appreciation. UVA’s strong endowment, thanks to generous donors and effective management by the University of Virginia Investment Management Company (UVIMCO), is making a powerful impact across the University and beyond. Endowed funds help faculty pursue life-changing research, students from all backgrounds learn from leading scholars, and departments expand programs that meet society’s growing and emerging needs.