Foundation of the ASNR to Establish New Mental Health Research and Education Initiative

The Foundation of the ASNR has received a charitable gift totaling $4,000,000 to establish the Aldon Mark Berger Fund for Research and Education in Mental Health. The Foundation gratefully acknowledges the generosity of the estate of Elaine Berger in making this donation.

The Aldon Mark Berger Fund will be used by the Foundation to develop competitive research grants and provide education for imaging as it relates to mental health, which is an integral part in the diagnosis and treatment of several diseases and disorders.

There is a crucial need for mental health education and research. According to a March 1, 2023, National Health Statistics Report from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in five U.S. adults (52.9 million) lived with a mental health disorder in 2020.

“This could not be more timely or necessary – mental health awareness is finally breaking down barriers, and the recognition that sustaining mental health is paramount both individually and collectively for population health is evident,” said Dr. Laurie Loevner, Chief of the Division of Neuroradiology at the University of Pennsylvania Health System and co-chair of the Foundation of the ASNR. “This research and education fund will enable multidisciplinary research led by neuroradiology scientists to study the spectrum of psychiatric diseases and disorders. Through advanced imaging techniques we may gain insight into pathology, structural and behavioral changes, and neural networks in the brain that contribute to mental illnesses, which in turn should lead to improved diagnoses, treatments and prevention of disease.”

Thanks to the Aldon Mark Berger Fund, the Foundation will be uniquely positioned to offer mental health education and research for imaging and help the field grow. The Foundation seeks to position itself as a leader in neuroradiology and mental health by providing these much-needed services.

More information about the grants and educational opportunities made possible by the Aldon Mark Berger Fund will be available soon.