Andrew Taylor, an emeritus trustee of Washington University in St. Louis, and his wife, Barbara, have made a $50 million gift to WashU Medicine’s neurosurgery department to enhance groundbreaking research, innovative patient care and the training of the next generation of neurosurgery leaders. In recognition of the Taylors’ generosity, the department has been named the Taylor Family Department of Neurosurgery.
The gift continues a long legacy of support from the Taylor family to WashU and was made in appreciation of the medical care Andrew Taylor recently received from WashU Medicine neurosurgeons. He is executive chairman of St. Louis-based Enterprise Mobility, the global car rental and transportation company.
“This gift marks a new era in the history of innovative science and compassionate healing at WashU Medicine,” said Chancellor Andrew D. Martin. “Andrew and Barbara’s generosity is further strengthening the department’s research infrastructure and helping WashU Medicine deliver world-class, life-changing care right here in St. Louis, while also providing life-saving innovations to the world. Their investment in new discoveries and treatments will give many more families reasons to feel grateful for decades to come.”
The neurosurgery department is widely recognized as one of the best in the country. Among neurosurgery departments at U.S. medical schools, it is ranked No. 5 in research funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
WashU Medicine’s masterful neurosurgeons and a powerful synergy between basic research and the latest technology ensure patients receive the very best care. The department is renowned for its leadership in treating a variety of conditions such as brain tumors, cerebral aneurysms, epilepsy, spine and peripheral nerve injuries and pediatric neurological problems, and is the highest volume program in Missouri and southern Illinois using deep brain stimulation for the treatment of movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor.
“The Taylor family has always valued people, nurtured talent and fostered a culture of excellence in their business endeavors and through their philanthropy,” said David H. Perlmutter, MD, executive vice chancellor for medical affairs, the George and Carol Bauer Dean of WashU Medicine, and the Spencer T. and Ann W. Olin Distinguished Professor. “Those are values we uphold at WashU Medicine. With this gift, we can even more tightly embrace and nurture the culture that we’ve built over many years, thanks to leaders like Ralph Dacey and Greg Zipfel.”
During his illness, Andrew Taylor received exceptional care from a team of WashU Medicine specialists led by Gregory Zipfel, MD, head of the Taylor Family Department of Neurosurgery and the Ralph G. Dacey Distinguished Professor of Neurosurgery – a professorship partly funded by the Taylors – and Wilson Zachary Ray, MD, the Henry G. and Edith R. Schwartz Professor of Neurosurgery and executive vice chair of the department. Ralph Dacey, MD, a close friend of the Taylors and a professor emeritus and former head of the neurosurgery department, guided and supported the Taylor family through Andrew’s surgery and recovery.