News Release

Former Vice President Walter Mondale receives Public Leadership in Neurology Award

Grant and Award Announcement

American Academy of Neurology

WASHINGTON, DC - The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) and the American Brain Foundation have announced that Walter F. Mondale, former Vice President of the United States, is the recipient of the 2015 Public Leadership in Neurology Award. Mondale is being recognized for his decades-long commitment to raising awareness for brain health. Mondale lost both his wife and daughter to brain diseases.

The Public Leadership in Neurology Award honors an individual or group outside of the medical profession. Honorees are known for advancing public understanding and awareness of neurologic disease, being effective advocates for neuroscience research and making significant contributions to improve patient care.

Mondale's daughter Eleanor was diagnosed with a brain tumor and later passed away at the age of 51. Within three years, he also lost his wife Joan, who had both Lewy Body dementia and Parkinson's disease.

"I never want another family to deal with the kind of losses I've experienced," said Mondale. "I'd like to know where the hopeful avenues are, and I'd like to go down those roads and help our doctors and research centers make more progress. If I can help, I want to help."

Mondale will receive the award during the AAN and American Brain Foundation Awards Luncheon held on Wednesday, April 22, 2015, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center as part of the AAN's Annual Meeting, the world's largest gathering of neurologists with more than 12,000 attendees.

"If we could find a breakthrough for Alzheimer's, not only would we improve countless lives, but we have the potential to save the country a projected $1.1 trillion in care costs by 2050," Mondale said. "Research is absolutely essential--if we can find real answers to these diseases, even if they're expensive, they'll pay for themselves."

As a senator from 1964 to 1976, Mondale served on committees related to the National Institutes of Health and worked on passing legislation for expanding Medicare and Medicaid in an effort to improve health care for all Americans. He has also been a long-time advocate for the Mayo Clinic Health System.

Esteemed past recipients of the Public Leadership in Neurology Award include Michael J. Fox, Kevin Sorbo, Julie Andrews and many other celebrities dedicated to helping the world understand the crucial need to support brain research.

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For more information about brain health, visit http://patients.aan.com/.

The American Academy of Neurology, an association of 28,000 neurologists and neuroscience professionals, is dedicated to promoting the highest quality patient-centered neurologic care. A neurologist is a doctor with specialized training in diagnosing, treating and managing disorders of the brain and nervous system such as Alzheimer's disease, stroke, migraine, multiple sclerosis, brain injury, Parkinson's disease and epilepsy.

For more information about the American Academy of Neurology, visit http://www.aan.com or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Goggle+ and YouTube.

The American Brain Foundation, founded by the American Academy of Neurology, supports crucial research and education to discover causes, improved treatments, and cures for brain and other nervous system diseases. Learn more at http://www.americanbrainfoundation.org/ or find the Foundation on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and YouTube.

Media Contacts: Rachel Seroka, rseroka@aan.com, (612) 928-6129
Michelle Uher, muher@aan.com, (612) 928-6120


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