COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center's new Interdisciplinary Research Facility has received $15 million in gifts from Joe and Linda Chlapaty to support cardiovascular research efforts.Pending approval by the Wexner Medical Center Board and the University Board of Trustees at their November meetings, the gifts will support a 305,000-square-foot research facility that will anchor a new innovation district being built on West Campus. The Interdisciplinary Research Facility will support projects involving joint research by multiple academic and research departments at The Ohio State University.
"This generous gift is a remarkable testament to Joe and Linda's deep commitment to the work we're doing at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Philanthropic investments like theirs allow us to bring our many talented researchers together to target life threatening health conditions, such as heart disease, that affect so many in our community," said Dr. Hal Paz, executive vice president and chancellor for health affairs at Ohio State and CEO of the Wexner Medical Center.
The fifth floor of the Interdisciplinary Research Facility would be named the Linda and Joe Chlapaty Research Laboratories.
"We're so proud to have Joe and Linda's support for cardiovascular research at Ohio State. Advancing research and creative expression is one of the pillars of our strategic plan, and we welcome the Chlapatys as partners in helping us fulfill that mission," said Ohio State University President Michael V. Drake.
The Chlapatys said they were inspired to make the gifts after Joe was treated for atrial fibrillation at Ohio State's Richard M. Ross Heart Hospital. Atrial fibrillation, also called AFib, is a quivering or irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) that can lead to blood clots, stroke, heart failure and other heart-related complications. At least 2.7 million Americans are living with AFib, according to the American Heart Association.
Doctors treated Chlapaty's atrial fibrillation with an ablation procedure using novel mapping technology, and today his heart rhythm is stable. Ohio State's Heart and Vascular Center is a national leader in atrial fibrillation.
"The hope would be, in terms of cardiac research, Ohio State becomes a pre-eminent institution. I think it has a higher capacity today than is recognized," said Chlapaty, who retired in 2017 as chairman, president and CEO of Advanced Drainage Systems.
These gifts, an estate gift of $5 million last spring and a $10 million cash commitment in the fall, will be crucial in making headway against atrial fibrillation, said Peter Mohler, vice dean for research at The Ohio State University College of Medicine and director of the Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute.
"This support is truly transformational," Mohler said. "Millions of Americans suffer from this life-threatening disease, and it affects over 10 million individuals across the world. Our interdisciplinary research teams are proud to partner with Joe and Linda to impact the lives of individuals in Ohio and around the globe. This is an exciting day to be a Buckeye."
