An Investment in Brain Health

Northwestern’s Efforts to Understand and Treat Dementia Receive a Boost from Jeanne Martineau’s Planned Gift

Sometimes, reasons to give come in threes. When Jeanne Martineau decided to include Northwestern in her estate plan, she was motivated by three reasons: love for her parents, a belief in the power of music, and the desire to illuminate the causes of dementia and help people living with this illness. Her planned gift will benefit Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and the University’s School of Communication.

Jeanne’s mother, Isabelle, died in 2014 and her father, Maurice (Marty), passed away in 2009. Both were in their 90s. In the final months of her life, Isabelle struggled with dementia.

Jeanne still enjoys sharing the story of how her parents first met. “My father was a Secret Service agent, and during World War II, he was assigned to the protective detail for Madame Chiang Kai-Shek, the first lady of China,” she says. When Madame Chiang underwent medical treatment at the New York City hospital where Jeanne’s mother worked as a nurse, Isabelle and Marty crossed paths. It was the beginning of 64 happy years together.

Even before her mother’s death, Jeanne, who lives in downtown Chicago, was interested in brain health. She attended Alzheimer Day, an annual event presented by Feinberg’s Mesulam Center for Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease that showcases Northwestern’s research on aging and dementia. “It was quite interesting, and I thought, ‘I should pay more attention to this,’” Jeanne recalls. “Alzheimer’s is affecting more people every day. When you look at the aging population, you realize how little we know about preventing or treating the disease, in spite of all the hard work that’s being done.”

Jeanne’s generous bequest will create support for the Mesulam Center through the Maurice G. and Isabelle S. Martineau Research and Education Fund. The Mesulam Center conducts cutting-edge research on the neurodegenerative disorders that cause dementia and seeks to identify novel therapies to ameliorate the disease. It also offers monthly support groups for family members and care partners of people living with dementia.

Bequests—often made through a will or trust—are an effective way to have a significant impact at Northwestern. Donors can structure a bequest to support a particular school or program or to support the University overall.

Research Examines Music’s Impact on Brain Health

Researchers across Northwestern are making new discoveries about the factors that strengthen brain health. For example, a few years ago, Jeanne attended a talk by Nina Kraus, the Hugh Knowles Professor of Communication Sciences, Neurobiology, and Otolaryngology in the School of Communication, who focuses on how exposure to music helps facilitate children’s language learning. Jeanne has always loved music, and she was fascinated to learn that making music can change people’s brains for the better throughout their lives.

“If you’re introduced to music early in life, it has a positive impact on brain activity. It may help delay the onset of dementia,” she says. Part of Jeanne’s bequest supports the School of Communication, where Kraus continues to advance the study of sound, music, and the brain.

Jeanne stays informed by attending Alzheimer Day each year and following the latest advances in research.

“I enjoy listening, learning, and seeing what people at Northwestern are working on and what they can accomplish,” she says. And when it comes to preventing and treating the disorders that cause dementia, she tries to remain optimistic. “We certainly have some very smart, dedicated people working on the problem,” Jeanne notes.

You Can Make an Impact on Brain Health

A gift in your estate plan can help continue cutting-edge research on brain health. Contact Northwestern Gift Planning at 800-826-6709 or giftplanning@northwestern.edu to learn how you can make a difference.