Phil and Penny Knight have given $90 million to Stanford University for the Knight Initiative For Brain Resilience.gettyNike founder Philip H. Knight and his wife Penny have made a new $90 million gift to extend the work of the Knight Initiative For Brain Resilience at Stanford University’s Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute. That initiative was launched in 2022 with the support of a $75 million donation from the Knights.A collaborative effort involving several of Stanford’s leading researches in medicine, neurosciences, engineering, biology, chemistry, psychology, and other related fields, the program seeks to understand resilient aging as a foundation for developing better interventions for Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases.“The goal of making longevity synonymous with good health and a nimble mind is at the heart of biomedical research, and an important driver of Stanford’s research mission,” said President Jonathan Levin, in a news release. “I am so grateful to Penny and Phil for their generosity, their long-standing friendship, and their belief in what Stanford’s faculty can accomplish when given the resources to pursue their deepest curiosity and boldest ideas.”By learning more about the brains of older people who enjoy good cognitive functioning, the Knight Initiative uses brain resilience as a framework for understanding neurodegenerative diseases. Calling that premise “the mystery at the heart of the Knight Initiative,” Tony Wyss-Coray, Knight Initiative director and D.H. Chen Distinguished Professor of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, said, "understanding the biological secrets of resilient aging could be key to staving off the disorders that cloud the final years of millions of lives and help more of us age gracefully into our later years.”The effort will move forward on two parallel tracks made possible by a Stanford collection of molecular data from samples of 100 different brain regions from individuals of various age. One effort will involve creating cellular models where researchers can test how specific molecular pathways drive the aging process – and what might slow it down or even reverse it. The other will use AI to detect patterns that might distinguish resilient from vulnerable brains and suggest interventions that could better preserve brain health. The datasets also will be made available to the general research community for further scientific investigations. MORE FOR YOU“It has always been important to us that this Initiative focus on resilience, and not just on disease,” said Penny Knight, in the release. “Phil and I are excited to see the enthusiasm with which the Stanford research community has taken up the challenge of envisioning a future where all people can enjoy vibrant lives and healthy minds into their later years. It is a privilege to support the ongoing discoveries and innovations that the next phase of this initiative will bring.”Phil Knight is a 1959 graduate of the University of Oregon, where he was a member of the track and field team. He later earned his MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. In 1964, he started Blue Ribbon Sports, Nike’s forerunner, with Bill Bowerman, his former track coach. He retired as Nike’s chairman in 2016. Forbes recently pegged his wealth at more than $25 billion.Known for their generous philanthropy, Phil and Penny Knight have made several major donations to the University of Oregon, Stanford University, and the Oregon Health & Science University over the years. In 2025, they committed $2 billion to the Oregon Health & Science University’s Knight Cancer Institute. It’s the largest donation ever made to a U.S. university, eclipsing the $1.8 billion given by Michael Bloomberg to Johns Hopkins University in 2018.In 2016, the Knights gave $400 million to Stanford establishing the Knight-Hennessy Scholars program, a graduate-level scholarship focused on leadership preparation. In addition to their support of the Knight Initiative for Brain Resilience, they’ve also donated major gifts for the construction of the Knight Management Center of Stanford Graduate School, the endowment of university professorships and support for Stanford athletics.