Alzheimer's Disease Data Initiative

We are thrilled to announce that applications are now open for the next cohort of the William H. Gates Sr. Fellowship. Named in honor of Bill Gates, Sr., a philanthropic leader who passed away from Alzheimer’s in 2020, this two-year fellowship supports early- to mid-career researchers from diverse backgrounds to pursue bold and innovative ideas that can diagnose, treat or cure #Alzheimer’s and related dementias. Applicants should have expertise in computational, machine learning, statistical or other data science methods. Consider applying if you have a background in AI methods and a novel idea for how to apply them to Alzheimer’s research. bit.ly/GatesSrADFellowship

A class of drugs for diabetes may be associated with a lower risk of #dementia and #Parkinson's disease, according to a new study, which saw a 37% decrease in AD incidence rate for people taking the treatment.?https://bit.ly/3YJmiJZ?American Academy of Neurology

When do changes in the brain related to Alzheimer’s begin? What treatment options are available to slow disease progression? And could it someday be possible to treat #ADRD before the symptoms start? A new short documentary from Eli Lilly and Company, tells the story of three doctors who have dedicated their careers to answering these questions, and others, in the pursuit of a world with treatable, and even preventable, Alzheimer’s disease. ?? https://bit.ly/3BT3SPb

The William H. Gates Sr. Fellowship was established to support a new generation of researchers who have novel approaches to end #ADRD.? ? This two-year program encourages and supports researchers from around the world to be bold, creative, and innovative in their approaches to ADRD research.? ? Are you interested in becoming a Gates Sr. AD Fellow? Apply by 1 December to be considered for the next cohort. bit.ly/GatesSrADFellowship?

Last week, we joined AARP and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, at the?Gerontological Society of the America conference?to launch the Dementia Risk Reduction Project, a new research endeavor that aims to uncover information on the link between environmental, health, and lifestyle factors that influence dementia risk in the United States.? ? Thus far, this research collaboration has shown that smoking, air pollution, and diabetes are all linked to higher risk of dementia. These are just three of the 12 risk factors the collaboration is focused on – other factors like depression, social isolation and hypertension are still being studied. The resulting findings, including comparisons by state, will be incorporated into the Alzheimer’s Disease Data Initiative’s?AD Workbench. ? This joint effort underscores the importance of collaboration as a cornerstone to better understanding #ADRD as we work to find new diagnostics, treatments, and cures.

Four years ago, the AD Data Initiative was founded with the belief that global data sharing will accelerate progress and lead?to?#ADRD research breakthroughs. As Bill Gates notes below, we are thrilled by the coalition’s momentum, and we have never been more optimistic about the future of Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis and treatment. Data-driven insights have the potential to accelerate them even further. ? We are grateful for the support of our donors, partners, and collaborators and are excited to see what the next four years of progress will bring in ADRD research.

Approximately two-thirds of people with Alzheimer’s disease are women, yet challenges studying X chromosomes have made identifying a genetic foundation for this difficult. Now, two large X-chromosome-wide association studies (XWAS) and a smaller study based on pathologically-confirmed AD identify 12 loci that might shed some light on the gender gap. https://bit.ly/3NkfsVK

We are excited to collaborate with?AARP?and the?Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation?on the new Dementia Risk Reduction Project. This crucial research will explore the links between various lifestyle and environmental factors, which will provide valuable insights to address #ADRD across communities.?Learn more: https://lnkd.in/euaH4HNJ

The Dementia Risk Reduction Project, a new collaboration between?AARP, the Alzheimer’s Disease Data Initiative, and the?Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation,?will assess how factors, such as air pollution, alcohol use, depression, diabetes, hypertension and others vary by state and their correlation to dementia. The resulting findings of this project, including state-by-state comparisons, will soon be made available via the AD Workbench. Learn more about the collaboration here: https://lnkd.in/euaH4HNJ UW Medicine Sarah Lenz Lock, JD, Christopher J.L. Murray, Niranjan Bose

Don’t forget to apply to be a William H Gates Sr. AD Fellow! The AD Data Initiative is particularly interested in hearing from applicants who have experience with AI approaches that emphasize multi-modal learning (e.g., integrating imaging, genetic, and clinical data), explainable AI, and privacy-preserving data analysis techniques. Applicants should demonstrate a commitment to ensuring that the outputs of their AI models are interpretable and clinically relevant. If you have a passion for Alzheimer’s research and an interest in applying generative AI methods in neuroscience or neurodegenerative diseases, we encourage you to apply. bit.ly/GatesSrADFellowship