Our legacy begins with our founders, Dr. George G. Glenner and his wife Joy. Dr. Glenner, was a physician and Alzheimer’s researcher at the UCSD School of Medicine and worked tirelessly to better understand the pathology of the disease. He became world-renowned for his research and identification of the beta-amyloid protein. This protein is considered the hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease and has allowed researchers to make valuable inroads.
While Dr. Glenner’s discoveries and explorations helped to advance our knowledge, the concern for the families affected by Alzheimer’s provided the poignant foundation for our centers. The Glenners were very concerned with the enormous stress the disease puts on caregivers. They saw the day-to-day struggles of families desperate for help.
In fact, in 1982 the organization was born out of a heartfelt response made by the Glenners after receiving a late night call from a family caregiver struggling with his wife’s dementia. The pressures of caregiving had taken an emotional toll and this family caregiver wanted to end his wife’s life as well as his own. It was this experience that moved the Glenners to establish services for those impacted by Alzheimer’s disease and their passion and determination to help these families is what defines us today.
We are proud to share that to this day, the UCSD School of Medicine continues to honor the great work of Dr. Glenner by recognizing a graduating fourth-year UC San Diego medical student who demonstrates superior clinical skills, dedication to compassionate medical care and a commitment to study, apply and advance scientific knowledge – in short, the attributes of Dr. Glenner himself. The award is called The George G. Glenner Memorial Award and consists of a certificate, $1,000 in cash and inscription of the awardee’s name on a perpetual bronze plaque in the UC San Diego School of Medicine.*
