Northwestern University has announced the creation of the Querrey Simpson Institute for Regenerative Engineering (QSI RENU) with a $10 million gift from Trustee Kimberly K. Querrey. This donation brings her total contributions to the institute to $35 million and her overall giving to the university to $391 million. The new institute will focus on developing medical tools that aid the body in healing by concentrating on the regeneration or reconstruction of tissues and organs, such as the eyes, cartilage, spinal cord, heart, muscle, bone, and skin.
The institute aims to address complex challenges in regenerative medicine as part of a broader university effort to advance the biosciences. It will help accelerate patient recovery, develop bioengineered tissues and organs to reduce the need for donor transplants, and more.
Kimberly Querrey and her late husband, Louis A. Simpson, have a significant philanthropic history with Northwestern, supporting a range of areas including biomedical research, business education, and scholarships.
The foundation of QSI RENU highlights the critical need for health care solutions that can regenerate diseased, injured, or missing tissue. This need is being met through the emerging field of regenerative engineering, which integrates materials science and engineering, stem cell biology, translational medicine, and data science to create tools that enhance tissue and organ functions.
“Kimberly Querrey’s visionary philanthropy and enduring commitment to advancing cutting-edge research have made an incredible impact here at Northwestern, and we are deeply grateful,” said University President Michael H. Schill. He emphasized that the institute will build on Northwestern's leadership in innovative health care solutions.
Provost Kathleen Hagerty expressed that the interdisciplinary approach of QSI RENU “promises to unlock profound advancements in regenerative medicine, keeping Northwestern at the forefront of medical innovation.”
Supporting education and research, the institute will focus on pre- and post-doctoral training, mentorship, industry partnerships, and more. Vice President for Research Eric Perreault noted that QSI RENU “exemplifies this approach, building on a long record of success in biomedical engineering and medicine,” referencing collaborations across several departments at Northwestern's Feinberg School of Medicine.
Instituting the new research center is Guillermo Ameer, a leader in regenerative engineering and biomaterials. Ameer's work, alongside collaborator John A. Rogers, led to a study published in Nature, presenting a wearable device for monitoring epidermal molecular flux, offering insights into wound healing and hydration.
“Regenerative engineering is a new and exciting field that addresses major challenges in tissue and organ regeneration and reconstruction surgeries to improve patients’ quality of life,” Ameer stated, emphasizing the potential for their research and technologies to impact clinical practice.
Querrey and Simpson's contributions have far-reaching impacts on Northwestern, aiding research, education, and innovation, including facilities like the Simpson Querrey Biomedical Research Center and the Querrey InQbation Lab.
Querrey commented on her commitment to STEM research and education, stating, “I have always believed in supporting discoveries that hold transformative promise for improving lives, and QSI RENU perfectly embodies that vision.”
The official launch of QSI RENU is set to coincide with the Translational Regenerative Engineering Symposium, where attendees will discuss the institute’s goals and the future of regenerative technologies.
More information can be found on the QSI RENU website.