Wayne State University’s School of Medicine and Children’s Hospital of Michigan will host a reception Wednesday, Jan. 31, to show their appreciation of donors who helped the institutions continue their commitment to pediatric research by establishing 13 endowed chairs and professorships during the past year.

Collectively, the donors contributed more than $17 million to support research in several pediatric specialties. Among those to be honored are:

The Estate of M. Ann Adams for its gift to fund the Carman and Ann Adams Endowed Chair of Pediatric Research;

George and Martha Bicknell Kellner for their gift to fund the Frank Bicknell, MD, Endowed Chair of Pediatric Urology;

 The Carls Foundation for its gift to fund The Carls Foundation Endowed Chair in Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology;

Samuel and Jean Frankel for their gift to fund The Frankel Family Endowed Chair in Pediatric Neuroscience Research;

John and Marion Ginopolis for their gift to fund the Georgie Ginopolis Endowed Chair in Pediatric Cancer and Hematology;

Miriam L. Hamburger for her gift to fund the Miriam L. Hamburger Endowed Chair of Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatric Research;

Richard and Leslie Helppie for their gift to fund an the Helppie Endowed Chair for Urban Pediatric Health Research;

Charles R. O’Brien and the executives of Ring Screw Textron for their gift to fund the Ring Screw Textron Endowed Chair of Pediatric Cancer Research;

The colleagues of Arvin I. Philippart, MD, for their gift to fund the Arvin I. Philippart Endowed Chair in Pediatric Surgical Research;

The Estate of Elizabeth and Peter Schotanus for its gift to fund The Schotanus Family Endowed Chair of Pediatrics, the Peter Schotanus Endowed Professorship in Pediatric Neurosurgery and the Elizabeth Schotanus Endowed Professorship in Pediatric Nursing; and

Janis and William Wetsman for their gift to fund the Janis and William Wetsman Family Endowed Chair in Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Media organizations are welcome to attend the luncheon, which will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Comerica Park’s Tiger Club Room.

With more than 1,000 medical students, WSU is among the nation’s largest medical schools. Together with the Detroit Medical Center, the school is a leader in patient care and medical research in a number of areas including pediatrics. Children’s Hospital of Michigan, the only freestanding pediatric hospital in the state, recently was ranked the No. 6 pediatric hospital in the United States by Child magazine.