Chair of Neurology Dawn Kleindorfer, M.D., began the evening by introducing each speaker and presenting Dr. Elafros, Andi, and Larry Wolfe with medals.
The Wolfes & Philanthropy
In her introduction, Dr. Kleindorfer had this to say about the Wolfes: “Their generous spirit and enduring dedication will provide lasting support for neuroscience research at the University of Michigan. We take pride in our alumni and supporters, but Andi and Larry exemplify a level of engagement and philanthropy that truly sets the gold standard. Their contributions go far beyond the financial, and they are architects of change and champions of innovation.”
“Philanthropy and Larry and Andi Wolfe have become synonymous here at Michigan Medicine,” Eva Feldman, M.D., Ph.D., added during her speech. “You can say it’s in Andi’s DNA. The D. Dan and Betty Kahn Foundation, named in honor of Andi’s parents, has been incredibly supportive of Michigan Medicine.”
In fact, the ceremony took place in the D. Dan and Betty Kahn Auditorium, while across the street, the D. Dan and Betty Kahn Healthcare Pavilion is under construction.
Dr. Feldman reminisced about meeting Andi Wolfe for the first time in 2011 when she traveled to Haifa as part of the Michigan Israel Partnership, which the Kahn Foundation still sponsors.
“On Day One, we were at the symposium, and there is a woman sitting in the front row, madly taking notes, asking these great questions. Idiscovered it was Andi. And that really was the beginning of two important things—one, a fast friendship, and two, my understanding of what a remarkable scientist Andi is.To say Andi has an interest or passion in science is an understatement.”
Out of this relationship and an interest in brain health, the Wolfes began the Andrea and Lawrence A. Wolfe Wellness Initiative in Brain Health. Their support has led to over 20 scientific publications in less than two years.
“I think what Michigan Medicine does is totally amazing,” explained Andi Wolfe. “Larry and I believe that you must support research. You don’t always win, but you never win if you don’t try. Melissa Elafros has this amazing drive, and Eva convinced me that this was a person I wanted to support.”
Bringing Dr. Elafros to Michigan
Dr. Feldman first met Dr. Elafros in 2019. Brian Callaghan, M.D., M.S., a mentee of Dr. Feldman, introduced them at the American Neurological Association’s Annual Meeting with the idea that “We need to bring her to Michigan.”
After five minutes, Dr. Feldman agreed. After her remarkable training at Johns Hopkins, where she was the chief resident in adult neurology, Dr. Elafros became a fellow at Michigan Medicine, where she is now a member of the faculty and the NeuroNetwork for Emerging Therapies.
Dr. Elafros’s Research
Two experiences in Zambia during her undergraduate studies at Michigan State and her Ph.D. work at Johns Hopkins led Dr. Elafros to become a neurologist who focuses on under-resourced communities. Listen to the full ceremony here to learn more about these experiences and her inspiration.
Today, Dr. Elafros has two major studies underway dealing with those issues —in Flint and Zambia.
Accepting her medal, Dr. Elafros explained that she launched her Flint Neuropathy Study because, “We have a pretty good idea about the prevalence and risk factors for neuropathy in Europe and places like Europe, but we don’t know what’s happening on the ground of what I like to call the real world, places like Flint.”
She has partnered with Hurley Medical Center in Flint, collaborating with its primary care clinic to look at neuropathy and neuropathy risk factors in their patients, who are primarily minorities with low incomes.
The first publication from this study came out in May and has received extensive media coverage, including in U.S. News & World Report and Yahoo! News. The New England Journal of Medicine cited it as an “article worth noting.”
The accepted prevalence of neuropathy in the U.S. is 13%. In Flint, Dr. Elafros found it was 73%. To make matters worse, 75% of those individuals did not know they had neuropathy.
“This is a huge problem because we know neuropathy causes damage to nerves, which can then lead to infection and amputations,” explained Dr. Elafros. “And the same nerves that go to your arms and legs also go to your heart and lungs. So, people with neuropathy tend to die earlier than those that do not have neuropathy.”
Her research is now trying to understand the barriers to neuropathy diagnosis in places like Flint and what can be done to surmount them.
Dr. Elafros returned to Zambia last year, launching the Zambia Cohort of Healthy Aging and Dementia. In this study, community healthcare workers go door to door in the capital, Lusaka, looking for people 55 and above and screening them for risk factors related to dementia like blood pressure, diabetes, and measures of obesity and malnutrition. They then screen for cognitive impairment. These individuals are then invited into the clinic to undergo neurologic exams. The goal is to understand the prevalence of dementia and its connection with community risk factors.
In her work, Dr. Elafros explained that she wants to do something meaningful that impacts individual and population health, transforming communities. “The factor often overlooked is that by working in these settings, we have the opportunity to better understand the challenges that we face everywhere.”
“She is a phenom,” Dr. Feldman said of Dr. Elafros. “What she has been able to accomplish in a short amount of time is breathtaking.”
She will be able to do even more, thanks to the wisdom and generosity of Andi and Larry Wolfe.
