June 10, 2025
Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images
Eagles Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie and his family are donating $50 million to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Penn Medicine to boost to 'spark a new era of scientific discovery in autism.'
Jeffrey Lurie, the Eagles' CEO and chairman, and his family are again giving back in hopes of furthering research into autism spectrum disorder.
The Lurie family have made a $50 million donation to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Penn Medicine to create the Lurie Autism Institute — a joint initiative aimed at discovering new insights into the neurodevelopmental disorder and improving its treatment.
Autism is characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors and communication. In the U.S., it affects 1 in 31 children and 1 in 45 adults. There is no known cure, but early treatment — particularly when children are of preschool age — can help children improve their social, communication, functional and behavioral skills.
The Lurie Autism Institute will focus on improving the lives of children and adults with autism by partnering with both CHOP and Penn Medicine. The Lurie family's gift is the largest single donation to U.S. academic medical centers focused on studying autism across the lifespan, according to CHOP.
"We established the Lurie Autism Institute to spark a new era of scientific discovery in autism. CHOP and Penn Medicine bring unmatched expertise and a proven record of innovation, and together, they have the tools to unlock answers that have eluded the field for far too long," Jeffrey Lurie said in a statement. "By investing in cutting-edge science and the infrastructure to move it forward, we're aiming not just to understand autism more deeply — but to transform what's possible for individuals and families worldwide."
Autism can cause a range of symptoms affecting social communication and interaction, including difficulties expressing feelings, understanding other people's body language and deciphering how others are feeling. People with autism also may display repetitive movements or speech patterns, insist on routines, have highly focused interests and sensitivities to sensory stimulation.
Autism is not believed to have a single cause. Scientists believe genetic and environmental factors may play a role in its formation. Studies have found no link between autism and vaccines.
Among its many research areas, the Lurie Autism Institute will seek to boost scientific knowledge of the genetics and biological processes underlying autism, explore why some people with autism have minimal speaking abilities, examine how the diverse behaviors caused by the disorder change as people age, and identify new and repurposed treatments by using artificial intelligence to analyze biological and behavioral data.
This new initiative continues to build upon the foundation the Lurie family has laid in autism research. Jeffrey Lurie created the Eagles Autism Foundation in 2018, and it since has raised more than $40 million for autism research and community grants. Decades earlier, his mother, Nancy Lurie Marks, founded the Nancy Lurie Marks Family Foundation in 1977 to to help people with autism. In 2009, her foundation created the Lurie Center for Autism at Massachusetts General Hospital.
"We are honored to be part of making the Lurie Autism Institute possible because we know how much remains to be discovered about the nature of autism; the educational, social, and life issues for individuals and families with autism; and for society's understanding of autism," Lurie Marks said. "CHOP and Penn Medicine have an incredible record of successful collaborations that result in real answers for people, and we know they will come together to accelerate discoveries and therapies for individuals living with ASD."
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