Alpha One Foundation Research Program and Professorship

The Alpha-1 Foundation established this professorship to fulfill the primary mission of the Foundation. The mission is to provide the leadership and resources that will result in increased research, improved health, worldwide detection and a cure for Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency, a genetic disorder that can cause liver and lung disease in children and adults. The professorship and research program at the University of Florida was established to create the core infrastructure to support the international investigator community and translational research for clinical development of new therapies for Alpha-1.

The Alpha-1 Foundation is a not-for-profit Florida corporation founded in 1995 by John W. Walsh, Susan Stanley and Sandy Lindsay, three individuals diagnosed with Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (AAT Deficiency or Alpha-1). The majority of the Board of Directors is either diagnosed with Alpha-1 or a family member of an individual diagnosed with Alpha-1.

The Foundation has realized continuous growth since its inception and has developed a solid infrastructure to promote research and the development of new therapies for improving the quality of life for those diagnosed with AAT Deficiency. To date, the Foundation has funded more than $19 million in a variety of research activities including academic research programs, research projects, scientific conferences and workshops, targeted testing programs, public policy initiatives, and education and awareness programs. The Foundation has fostered collaborations with investigators throughout the United States, Europe and Asia, working closely with the National Institutes of Health, the US Food & Drug Administration, individuals affected by AAT Deficiency, and the pharmaceutical industry to expedite the development of improved therapies, including aerosol delivery for augmentation therapy and gene therapies for the liver diseases associated with Alpha-1.