About CELOD
Our Mission
The Center on Early Life Origins of Disease addresses common and important clinical and public health problems in diverse populations, in collaboration with U.S. and international colleagues from multiple disciplines. The Center has a particular focus on dissecting the complex interplay of environment, genetic and epigenetic factors in order to understand the etiology and natural history; and to identify early life precursors of common pediatric and adult diseases.
The Center is also actively engaged in translating scientific knowledge into clinical and public health practices that can lead to advancements in early prediction, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases across the life-span and generations. In addition, the Center is fully committed to training a new generation of maternal and child health professionals and researchers to become leading trans-disciplinary investigators and future leaders.
The Zanvyl Krieger Professorship in Children's Health
Philanthropist, lawyer, businessman, Zanvyl Krieger was devoted to the future of Baltimore City. A graduate of Baltimore City College and Johns Hopkins University, Mr. Krieger attended Harvard Law School. A life-long Baltimore resident, Mr. Krieger practiced law and pursued business and civic ventures, including Mr. Krieger’s investment in 1964 in a start-up company called U.S. Surgical.
At first, the Zanvyl and Isabelle Krieger Fund focused on supporting large institutions that benefitted the residents of Baltimore City. A series of endowment gifts by the fund enabled what is now the Kennedy Krieger institute to leverage additional funding from the State of Maryland. In 1987, the Fund provided an $8 million grant to the Johns Hopkins University to establish the Zanvyl Krieger Mind/Brain Institute.
The Fund was instrumental in the growth of the Krieger Children’s Eye Center at the Wilmer Institute of Johns Hopkins. It also established he Sinai Krieger Eye Center that led to a partnership between Sinai Hospital and the Wilmer Institute, and endowed chairs were created for Pediatric Urology at Johns Hopkins Hospital and Children’s Health at the Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Mr. Krieger’s long association with his alma matter, Johns Hopkins University, was further strengthened in 1992 when the fund made an unprecedented $50 million challenge grant to the School of Arts and Sciences. Upon Zanvyl Krieger’s death in 2000 at the age of 94, the Board of the Krieger Fund made a commitment to continue his work of investing in people with ideas that hold promise for the future of Baltimore City and its residents.
if you would like to contact CELOD, please email Serena Rusk.