Dolly Parton gives $1M to infectious disease research, again

Dolly Parton is donating $1 million to pediatric infectious disease research at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville.

The new gift is one of several Parton has made to the center over the years, including a $1 million gift in April 2020 for COVID vaccine research.

The medical center said in a Wednesday news release that Parton’s new gift will support a variety of ongoing research.

That includes investigating how viruses and bacteria cause disease and how to best prevent and treat infections.

Parton says she supports the work because she loves children and wants to “keep as many of them as I can as healthy and safe as possible.”

The center said Parton’s donation would support ongoing research that includes understanding how viruses and bacteria cause disease, understanding and preventing resistance to antibiotics, preventing and treating infections, diagnosing and treating infections in children with cancer, and research to define the impact of childhood infections throughout the world.

“Dolly’s previous support to infectious disease research, and also our pediatric cancer program, has already saved countless lives,” Jeff Balser, president and CEO of Vanderbilt University Medical Center and dean of the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine said in the press release. “This new gift will bolster our defenses against future threats to the safety of this region and society as a whole. It speaks volumes about her passion for people, and we couldn’t be more thankful.”