Ellen and Howard Katz Invest $2 Million to Establish Neuroimaging Innovation Center Chair at Barrow

PHOENIX, AZ (October 27, 2021) – Barrow Neurological Foundation is proud to announce that Ellen and Howard Katz have endowed the chair in the Neuroimaging Innovation Center at Barrow Neurological Institute. Chad Quarles, PhD, has been named the inaugural chair of the department.

“Imaging is critical to informing a diagnosis, determining the extent of a disease, guiding surgeries, and measuring the effectiveness of treatments in patients with neurological disorders,” said Mrs. Katz. “The innovative research the neuroimaging team is doing breaks the boundaries of conventional use and could propel the entire field into the future. Howard and I were drawn to this area because it is something we can understand, and we realize the critical importance of it.”

Ellen Katz earned her undergraduate degree in art history at Northwestern University. She and her husband, Howard, split their time between Carefree, Arizona and New York, New York. Over the years, they have held significant leadership roles at Phoenix Art Museum, Arizona Science Center, and HonorHealth. Mrs. Katz, a member of the Barrow Neurological Foundation Board of Trustees, also serves as a trustee of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, and Mount Sinai Health System in New York.

The research the neuroimaging team is conducting aims to move from capturing purely anatomical features to measuring the molecular, cellular, and metabolic properties of a tumor or other pathology. They take a holistic approach that seeks to improve the camera, cultivate new contrast agents, and develop the ability to create a single, clinically useful image synthesized from multiple scans.

In addition to developing more precise targeting for brain cancer, the neuroimaging team is currently investigating ways to use imaging to improve patient care for Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), among other conditions.

“The mission of the Neuroimaging Innovation Center is to transform patient care through innovative neuroimaging solutions,” said Michael T. Lawton, MD, President and CEO of Barrow Neurological Institute. “Now, thanks to the generosity of Ellen and Howard Katz, and their insight into the importance of neuroimaging, we will be able to take many more steps in our journey to improve outcomes.”

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