Céline Dion Foundation donates $2M for research at CU’s Anschutz campus

DENVER (KDVR) — The University of Colorado Anschutz medical campus received a $2 million gift from the Céline Dion Foundation to fund further medical research into a rare neurological disease that the singer struggles with.

The disease, stiff person syndrome, is a chronic and progressive autoimmune neurologic disease , according to a release from CU. It causes muscle stiffness and painful spasms that make it difficult to walk. There is currently no cure.

However, Doctor of Medicine Amanda Piquet , who also works as an associate professor of neurology and director of the autoimmune neurology program at the University of Colorado School of Medicine , said the donation is “the start of a very bright future for those with the disease.”

Piquet has treated Dion for two years at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital. Dion was diagnosed in 2022, and the disease prompted the cancellation of recent tours.

CU said her team is “conducting groundbreaking research on autoimmune neurologic disorders,” and the gift will help support more large-scale studies.

Researchers at CU have found that the disease is not as rare as initially thought. It is estimated to affect about one in a million people, but studies at CU Anschutz have found it to be more prevalent with a rate of about two in 100,000.

Here are the details of what the gift will be used for over the next five years as listed in the press release from CU:

• Support the newly endowed chair and her efforts to expand research and develop a deeper understanding of SPS and other rare autoimmune neurological disorders;
• Expand CU Anschutz’s autoimmune neurologic disease registry and biorepository, increasing the volume of data to propose effective shifts to the care for people experiencing SPS; and
• More quickly identify the patterns in symptoms people are experiencing to diagnose the disease earlier and provide solutions that will lead to a better quality of life for patients.

Piquet said in an interview ahead of the “I Am: Céline Dion” documentary that Dion’s condition “is improved and overall making progress.” Piquet said the donation marks a turning point in the understanding of stiff person syndrome and other autoimmune neurologic diseases.

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