FORT COLLINS, Colo. — Colorado State head football coach Jay Norvell is building more than a football program. Off the field, he and his wife, Kim, are tackling a fight that hits much closer to home: cystic fibrosis.
The Norvells recently donated $50,000 to support cutting-edge lung research at Colorado State University, advancing development of electrical impedance tomography (EIT), a radiation-free lung imaging technology.
“We’ve always been involved in fundraising everywhere we’ve been for cystic fibrosis,” Jay Norvell said.
The research is led by Dr. Jennifer Mueller, who is developing EIT. This real-time lung imaging method utilizes low-frequency electrical currents applied through electrodes, thereby avoiding exposure to ionizing radiation.
For Kim Norvell, the cause is deeply personal. She was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis as a baby.
“Dr. Mueller talks to me like a person, not just a patient,” Kim said. “She explains things in a way I can understand."
The Norvells’ donation is also funding hands-on experience for eight undergraduate students, allowing them to participate directly in lung imaging research.
“People who have this disease have had their lives improved by research,” Jay said. “Kim is a walking example of that. Our lives have been affected directly, and the research is the key.”
The couple’s contributions extend beyond financial support. Each spring, they host the “Grit Run,” a community 5K in Fort Collins that raises awareness and funds for cystic fibrosis research. The event has drawn widespread support from CSU, the Fort Collins community, and across northern Colorado.
“It’s just been a really special feeling from the community — how they’ve all supported us,” Jay said.
Dr. Mueller said EIT could be in hospitals within five years, aiding not only cystic fibrosis patients, but also premature infants and people living with muscular dystrophy. Thanks to the Norvells’ support, that timeline may arrive even sooner.
