Stephen Bittel is a real estate developer
A $5 million gift from Stephen Bittel has helped launch UM’s Division of Movement Disorders and Neurotherapy.
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive movement disorder affecting people of all ages.
Stephen Bittel is a real estate developer and former chairman of the Florida Democratic Party. He also has Parkinson’s disease, which led him to give a $5 million gift to UM’s Division of Movement Disorders and Neurotherapy.
The donation is the largest single donation ever made to the University of Miami by an individual donor, according to UM officials.
The money will go toward hiring faculty members who specialize in Parkinson’s research, as well as support for programs that help people with movement disorders lead healthier lives through exercise classes and other activities designed specifically for them.
The gift will recruit more faculty members, support research and expand the clinical program to become a regional treatment center.
UM’s Division of Movement Disorders is already one of the country’s largest centers for Parkinson’s disease treatment and research.
The new endowment will help UM build on this strength by recruiting additional faculty members who can lead basic science studies and clinical trials to find new treatments for patients with Parkinson’s disease.
Each year, more than 60,000 people in Florida will be diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
The cause of Parkinson’s is unknown, and there is no cure for this progressive nervous system disorder.
Stephen Bittel is a Managing Partner at the Miami Dolphins. He graduated from the University of Florida and obtained a degree in business administration from the school.
After college, he worked as an administrative assistant for the University of Florida Athletic Department.
He then worked for MSA Associates, a sports representation firm. In 2006, he became the Director of Marketing for the Jacksonville Jaguars.