Skip to main content
Category

Carousel Slider

UCI MIND faculty featured, “Hope Dies Last”, wins Golden Mike Award

By Carousel Slider, In the News
OC World produced documentary "Hope Dies Last", featuring UCI MIND faculty members, Drs. Joshua Grill and Leslie Thompson, wins the Golden Mike Award for best documentary. "Hope Dies Last" creates a narrative around the impact of Alzheimer's disease on California communities and the stories of families who find hope in the darkest of times. The documentary, produced by OC World, was awarded Best Long Form Programming or Documentary at the 73rd Annual Golden Mike Awards. Read the full article here.    View the documentary here. https://youtu.be/wABhpdiZO0E
Read More

Inaugural recipient of the UCI MIND Joan and Don Beall Scholar Award

By Carousel Slider, In the News
The UC Irvine Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders (UCI MIND) is pleased to announce that the inaugural recipient of the “UCI MIND Joan and Don Beall Scholar Award” is S. Ahmad Sajjadi, MD, PhD. Dr. Sajjadi is an Associate Professor of Neurology in the UCI School of Medicine. A clinician scientist with an established track record of studying different neurodegenerative pathologies across the aging spectrum, Dr. Sajjadi has demonstrated himself as an outstanding investigator and an important contributor to Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) research and clinical care at UCI. He is an investigator in the UCI Alzheimer’s…
Read More

A4 Study Releases Negative Results

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
The topline results for the Anti-Amyloid treatment in Asymptomatic Alzheimer’s disease (A4) study were released today (https://a4study.org). Unfortunately, the drug being investigated, solanezumab, failed to demonstrate a benefit in slowing memory changes in a population of individuals age 65-to-85 who met criteria for preclinical Alzheimer’s disease. Preclinical Alzheimer’s is a relatively new construct. It includes people who are older and have normal memory performance, but in whom biological tests suggest that the risk for Alzheimer’s disease dementia is high. The A4 study was among the first ever preclinical AD trials, boldly blazing a trail that has now been followed by…
Read More

UCI MIND faculty member awarded grant to study patient reactions to Alzheimer’s disease diagnoses

By Carousel Slider, In the News
Dr. Joshua Grill and colleagues at the University of Pittsburgh have been awarded a 3.5 million dollar grant by the National Institute on Aging to advance the field’s understanding of real-world patient and family member reactions to biomarker-informed Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders (ADRD) diagnoses and to provide critical information for directing post-diagnostic resources to monitor and support those most in need. Read the full news story about this important research here Joshua D. Grill, PhDDirector, UCI MIND; Professor, Psychiatry and Human Behavior and Neurobiology and Behaviorphoto: Steve Zylius/UCI  
Read More

No change in coverage yet for monoclonal antibody treatments for Alzheimer’s disease

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
On February 17, 2023, a bipartisan group of Senators sent the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Javier Baccera, and the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, a letter requesting that CMS reconsider their decision to require Coverage with Evidence Determination (CED) that was levied after the accelerated approval of aducanumab. The letter followed a similar request from the Alzheimer’s Association, made in December 2022. The CED decision significantly limited access to aducanumab and other monoclonal antibodies (should they be approved), requiring that coverage would be granted only if Medicare beneficiaries were enrolled in…
Read More

The family of Bruce Willis shared that he has FTD, what’s that?

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a form of dementia that typically affects individuals in their 50s and 60s. It is therefore, commonly referred to as young onset dementia. Clinically, FTD can present in two ways; some patients present with behavioral impairment and are referred to as behavioral variant FTD (bvFTD). The other main presentation involves language decline and is called primary progressive aphasia (PPA). Both conditions start insidiously and accurate diagnosis can be a challenge, especially at early stages of the disease. In bvFTD, patients can present with apathy, lack of empathy, increased appetite, preference for sweet tooth, new onset of…
Read More

Support from Joan and Don Beall will sustain two UCI MIND programs

By Carousel Slider, In the News
In July 2022, students from Santa Ana and Anaheim high schools learn about neuroanatomy as part of the UCI MIND Beall Scholar Program to Inspire Future STEM Leaders. Support from Joan and Don Beall will allow for the program to continue. UCI MIND Irvine, Calif., Jan. 31, 2023 — Sustained support from philanthropists Joan and Don Beall to the the Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders will allow for the continuation of an educational outreach program in Orange County high schools and the creation of a new research award for an early career researcher. “We are grateful for the…
Read More

UCI MIND Faculty leads study to model sporadic Alzheimer’s disease in degus

By Carousel Slider, In the News
UCI School of Medicine highlighted innovative research performed in the lab of Xiangmin Xu, PhD, UCI MIND faculty member and professor and Chancellor’s Fellow of anatomy and neurobiology in the UCI School of Medicine.  Dr. Xu and colleagues have found that sporadic Alzheimer's disease can be modeled in a non-murine rodent called the Chilean degu. "Our findings, taken together, show spontaneous AD-like correlative phenotypes in cognitive performance and neuropathology in aged, outbred degus. This supports that aged degus are a useful and practical model of natural sporadic AD." Xiangmin Xu Read the article in the February edition of the UCI School…
Read More

FDA decides not to grant accelerated approval to donanemab

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
In a somewhat surprising move, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has declined to grant accelerated approval to Eli Lilly’s donanemab Read the full press release from Eli Lilly here Like aducanumab and lecanemab, which were previously granted accelerated approval by the FDA, donanemab is a monoclonal antibody treatment against the beta amyloid protein that accumulates in the brain of a person with Alzheimer’s disease. Eli Lilly published very promising results for donanemab in 2021, which included demonstration that donanemab could lower amyloid levels in the brain of people with mild cognitive impairment and mild dementia (the basis for…
Read More

Healthy, Drug-Resistant Microglia Reinvigorate Mouse Brain

By Carousel Slider, In the News
Only Mutants. While wild-type human microglia perished in mice after two months of CSF1R inhibitor treatment (left), G795A microglia expanded to fill the entire brain (green, right). UCI MIND faculty member and professor, Mathew Blurton-Jones, PhD, is featured in AlzForum for his lab's recent collaborative work on creating a new strain of resistant microglia. Lead author and graduate student in the Blurton-Jones lab, Jean Paul Chadarevian, along with collaborators at the University of Pennsylvania published their innovative work in Journal of Experimental Medicine in the December 2022 issue. Read the full article here >
Read More

FDA grants accelerated approval to lecanemab

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
January 6, 2023 – Today, as expected, the US Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to lecanemab, a monoclonal antibody against the beta amyloid protein that accumulates in the brain of people with Alzheimer’s disease. Lecanemab was approved on the basis of the treatment’s demonstrated effect of lowering levels of brain amyloid, as measured by a type of brain scan known as positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. Lecanemab is now approved for the treatment of patients with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia, and should be used in patients in whom that same amyloid PET brain scan (or measures…
Read More

Alzheimer’s research in people with Down syndrome benefits all

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
Elizabeth Head, PhD UCI MIND Faculty Member Elizabeth Head, PhD was featured in the Akron Beacon Journal: I recently interviewed Dr. Elizabeth Head, a neuropathology core co-investigator at the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at University of California, Irvine. While she collaborates with researchers studying Alzheimer's in the general population, her research is focused specifically on the Down syndrome population. Her team and others are conducting longitudinal studies, in which volunteers with Down syndrome participate for many years, discovering relevant data that are the building blocks for future treatments. Read the full article here >
Read More

Two New Stabs at Vaccinating People Against Pathologic Tau

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
Bells and Whistles. ACI-35.030 includes a phospho-tau peptide anchored to a liposomal bilayer, along with two adjuvants and a non-target T cell epitope to rally B cells to churn out antibodies against phospho-tau. The work of our faculty, researchers, and collaborators was highlighted in a recent Alzforum article on anti-tau vaccines. AC Immune updates Phase 1b/2 comparison of two anti-#tau vaccines. A liposomal vaccine prompted #antibody response against phospho-tau. Preclinical data bode well for another tau vaccine; first trial slated for next year. Read more >
Read More

Dare We Say Consensus Achieved: Lecanemab Slows the Disease

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
UCI MIND Director Joshua Grill, PhD is featured in and comments on Alzforum's report on "convincing and noteworthy" lecanemab results. The slightly larger effect on ADLs caught the interest of some scientists, since these can feel most important to participants. “ indicates that patients and families could benefit from slowing of observable functional worsening,” Joshua Grill of the University of California, Irvine, wrote to Alzforum (full comments below). Read his commentary here > Read the full article here > Diverging Trajectories. People on lecanemab worsened more slowly on the CDR-SB than did people on placebo, resulting in a quarter less progression…
Read More

This 100-Year-Old Woman Has 2 Secrets for a Long Life

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
Eat This, Not That! "According to a study performed by UCI MIND and presented at the American Association for the Advancement of Science, there's a connection between longevity and drinking a moderate amount of alcohol. (Let's stress the "moderate.") The research involved individuals 90+ years of age. In this particular study, participants who drank approximately two glasses of wine or beer were linked to an 18% decreased risk of early mortality. So sipping in moderation can be a good thing!" Learn more here >  Learn about The 90+ Study here >
Read More

Controversial Alzheimer’s drug approval sparks surprising impact

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
“Alzheimer’s is the most important medical condition society faces and we need an army of citizen volunteers to participate in drug trials,” said UCI MIND’s Joshua Grill, with study leader Marina Ritchie. UCI MIND When the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave controversial accelerated approval to the first Alzheimer’s drug in nearly 20 years, it had a surprising impact on attitudes about research into the disease. A survey by University of California, Irvine neuroscientists has found news coverage of the FDA’s decision made the public less willing to volunteer for Alzheimer’s pharmaceutical trials. The study was conducted by the UCI…
Read More

Learning Alzheimer’s Risk

By Carousel Slider, In the News
The actor Chris Hemsworth recently publicly disclosed that he learned that he carries two copies of the Alzheimer’s disease risk gene Apolipoprotein  (APOE) e4 (https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/culture/story/chris-hemsworth-discovers-risk-alzheimers-disease-series-limitless-93442609). We’ve previously discussed direct-to-consumer genetic testing that includes the option for APOE testing on the UCI MIND blog (https://mind.uci.edu/fda-approves-23andme-limited-direct-consumer-genetic-risk-testing/). APOE is the strongest known genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. People who carry one or two copies of the e4 allele are at increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease, while people who carry the e2 allele are at lower risk (most people carry two copies of the e3 allele). But people with e4 don’t always develop…
Read More

Untreated Sleep Apnea May Increase Dementia Risk

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
Healthline - “There is a lot of evidence that links sleep apnea to Alzheimer’s disease risk,” added Bryce Mander, Ph.D, assistant professor, Psychiatry & Human Behavior, School of Medicine at the University of California, Irvine. “But there is limited data on the beneficial effects of sleep apnea treatment on risk for dementia.” He continued: “This study offers proof of concept evidence that treating sleep apnea may reduce Alzheimer’s disease risk. also offers potential novel molecular targets for future study for those where positive airway pressure treatment is not feasible.” Read more here >  
Read More

The Case for Disclosing Biomarker Results to Alzheimer’s Research Participants

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, Community Events, In the News
UCI MIND Director Joshua Grill, PhD and Jason Karlawish, PhD, Co-Director of the Penn Memory Center were featured in a recent podcast episode for the Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center: The Case for Disclosing Biomarker Results to Alzheimer's Research Participants. Listen here > Did you know that UCI MIND has its own podcast specifically for caregivers called, Spotlight on Care? Listen to "Keeping the Holidays and Celebrations Happy, Healthy and Safe, with Dr. Miriam Galindo" and tell us what you think.
Read More

The Latest on Alzheimer’s Disease: What Researchers Are Learning About the Disease

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
"Researchers are working hard to find a cure to Alzheimer's disease … Through their efforts, new research and studies have proven helpful in ways to prevent the disease and even possible treatments. We learn about these findings from our panel of medical experts …. We also discuss The 90+ Study, which studies people over the age of ninety, how they live to that age, and whether their minds show any signs of decline. … Guests: Dr. Ahmad Sajjadi, Cognitive Neurologist, Associate Professor of Neurology and Pathology, University of California, Irvine…." Learn more here >
Read More

The #1 Thing You Can Do to Lower Your Dementia Risk

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
Eat This, Not That! - Nov. 1, 2022 'An increase in dementia cases is alarming, especially since there's no cure and Dr. Michael Yassa, neurobiologist and director of the Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory at the University of California, Irvine shares why there's an uptick. "Remember that the biggest risk factor is age, and we are an aging population. Advances in medical care have managed to extend our lifespan beyond anything we could have ever imagined a hundred or two hundred years ago. So the prevalence of dementia is increasing because we have more and more people…
Read More

Recent grant success

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
University of California, Irvine Chancellor Howard Gillman states: "Our faculty continues to do a tremendous job of winning research grants, the lifeblood of our research efforts. In just the last couple of months...our renowned Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, known as UCI MIND, received a grant of $47 million from the National Institute on Aging; an interdisciplinary UCI team will receive $10 million from the National Institutes of Health...Clearly, the future of science at UCI is very bright indeed." The UCI research team is directed by (seated, from left) Frank LaFerla, Andrea Tenner and Kim Green. Other investigators…
Read More

UCI MIND Faculty Responds to AlzForum Article: How Will Alzheimer’s Trials, Treatment Change in 2023 and Beyond?

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
Responding to an article written in AlzForum on the future of Alzheimer's treatment and research from October 7th, Joshua Grill, PhD, from UCI MIND, and his colleague, Jason Karlawish, MD, from the University of Pennsylvania, write: Josh Grill, Professor, Psychiatry & Human Behaviorphoto: Steve Zylius/UCI "Anticipation that FDA will grant full approval of lecanemab (or another disease-modifying treatment) invites an exciting but challenging thought exercise: How will such treatments change research and practice for Alzheimer’s disease (AD)? We’ve considered some of the issues. Our top line point is that a new disease-slowing treatment is unlikely to make use of placebo…
Read More

Laguna Woods resident endured horrors of Holocaust and got a fresh start in the U.S.

By Carousel Slider, In the News, Participants
Then and now: Laguna Woods resident Helen Weil plays accordion as a young woman and today, 80 years apart. Weil turned 101 this year. She survived the Nazis in Germany but lost her parents and older sister. (Photo by Daniella Walsh) When Weil was in her 90s, she enrolled in the 90+ Study, a UC Irvine program initiated in 2003 to study “the oldest-old.” The program started in 1981 as the Leisure World Cohort Study, in which Leisure World residents in their 90s filled out surveys about what contributed to their longevity. … UCI researchers visit participants every six months…
Read More

Watch out, Alzheimer’s! Big new grant at UCI, new drug trial at Hoag coming for you

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
UC Irvine, a longtime hub of Alzheimer’s investigation, has been awarded a $47 million grant from the National Institute on Aging to support a team developing next-generation mouse models for studying late-onset Alzheimer’s. … “It’s an incredibly exciting time, and there’s a lot of promise,” said Joshua Grill, director of UCI’s Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders. … The project’s next phase will be co-directed by Frank LaFerla, dean of the School of Biological Sciences; Andrea Tenner, a Distinguished Professor of molecular biology and biochemistry; and Kim Green, a professor of neurobiology and behavior. To learn more, click here >
Read More

UCI Alzheimer’s project wins $47 million grant from National Institute on Aging

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
Scientists will develop mouse models to help unravel most common form of disease The UCI research team is directed by (seated, from left) Frank LaFerla, Andrea Tenner and Kim Green. Other investigators include (standing, from left) Marcelo Wood, Arthur Lander, Grant MacGregor, Ian Smith, Vivek Swarup, Craig Stark, Andre Obenaus and Ali Mortazavi. UCI School of Biological Sciences What began with a $70,000 philanthropic gift 12 years ago has grown into the recipient of a $47 million National Institute on Aging grant for Alzheimer’s disease research at the University of California, Irvine. The funds will be parceled out over five…
Read More

UCI is key member of multi-institutional, $126 million NIH brain mapping project

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
Campus to receive $10 million over five years for role in Cell Atlas Network UCI research team members will manage brain sample acquisition, processing and characterization as part of the BRAIN Initiative Cell Atlas Network project. They are (from left) Ed Monuki, Elizabeth Head, William Yong, Xiangmin Xu, Craig Stark, Hannah Lui Park and Robert Edwards, along with Mari Perez-Rosendahl (not pictured). Steve Zylius / UCI The University of California, Irvine will participate in a five-year, multi-institutional, $126 million grant from the National Institutes of Health supporting the BRAIN Initiative Cell Atlas Network. The project aims to describe the cells…
Read More

25 Best Alzheimer Podcasts

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
UCI MIND's podcast, Spotlight on Care: Alzheimer's Caregiving, was featured in a list of the top Alzheimer's podcasts by Feedspot. The best Alzheimer podcast list is curated from thousands of podcasts on the web and ranked by traffic, social media followers, domain authority & freshness. Watch our latest episodes at spotlightoncare.com. 9. Spotlight on Care: Alzheimer's Caregiving  Irvine, California, US Welcome to Spotlight on Care, the podcast where we share stories, experiences, tips, and advice on caring for loved ones affected by Alzheimer's and other dementias. Spotlight on Care is produced by the University of California, Irvine Institute for Memory Impairments…
Read More

Predicting real world spatial disorientation in Alzheimer’s disease patients using virtual reality navigation tests

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
Illustration of SHQ. (a) Wayfinding level 6, where locations of three numbered checkpoints are first shown on a map. After the map disappears, participants have to navigate the boat to the numbered checkpoints in order, (b) Flare level 9, where participants navigate the boat from a starting location along the river, until they find a flare gun. Once found, the boat rotates by 180° clockwise and the participants are asked to shoot the gun in the direction of the starting location. Vaisakh Puthusseryppady, a post-doctoral scholar at the University of California, Irvine in the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior writes:…
Read More

Early Adversity and Brain Development

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
Early life adversities can have a lifelong impact. Tallie Z. Baram, distinguished professor in the Departments of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Pediatrics, Neurology, and Physiology & Biophysics at the University of California, Irvine, determines why. Listen here > Prof. Tallie Z. Baram Prof. Tallie Z. Baram is the Danette Shepard Professor of Neurological Sciences, with appointments in several departments at UCI. Baram is a developmental neuroscientist and child neurologist and has focused her efforts on the influence of early-life experiences on the developing brain, and on the underlying mechanisms. She is studying this broad topic in two contexts: a) How early-life…
Read More

UCI research study links ALS to immune system dysfunction

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
Findings show bone marrow transplantation may be a novel treatment approach July 12, 2022 Albert LaSpada, MD, PhD, distinguished professor of pathology, neurology and biological chemistry in the UCI School of Medicine, is one of the first researchers to examine whether some forms of ALS could be linked to the body's adaptive immune system, which builds up protection as it is exposed to foreign pathogens. Orange, Calif. — The immune system, along with the body's central nervous system, may play a fundamental role in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), suggesting that bone marrow transplants may be an effective new treatment for the…
Read More

Precision health perspectives

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
Leslie Thompson discusses how UCI’s collaborative approach can help usher in the next great advancement in healthcare July 11, 2022 “I’ve been involved in many very meaningful research projects in my career, but to be perfectly honest, this is huge for me, as I feel it ultimately can help the families that I so passionately care about,” says Leslie Thompson. Steve Zylius / UCI In February, UCI launched the Institute for Precision Health, a campus-wide, interdisciplinary endeavor that merges UCI’s powerhouse health sciences, engineering, machine learning, artificial intelligence, clinical genomics and data science capabilities. The objective is to identify, create…
Read More

Research reveals how brain inflammation may link Alzheimer’s risk, sleep disturbance

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
Multisite team included UCI, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Wake Forest University July 13, 2022 “Our findings indicate that age-related increases in brain inflammation have a downstream effect on Alzheimer’s disease-related tau proteins and neuronal synaptic integrity,” says Bryce Mander, Ph.D., UCI assistant professor of psychiatry & human behavior and the study’s lead and co-corresponding author. “This results in deficits in the brain’s capacity to generate fast sleep spindles, which contribute to age-related memory impairment in older adults.” UCI School of Medicine Irvine, Calif., July 13, 2022 – A multisite research team from the University of California, Irvine, the University of Wisconsin–Madison and…
Read More

Detection of Brain Tau Pathology in Down Syndrome Using Plasma Biomarkers

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
Contributed by Mark Mapstone, PhD UCI MIND faculty Mark Mapstone, PhD and Ira Lott, MD collaborated on research that was recently published in JAMA Neurology. Learn more about their findings: Studying Alzheimer’s disease in people with Down syndrome is a very important avenue for research because nearly all people with Down syndrome will develop the brain changes of Alzheimer’s disease. These changes include the abnormal accumulation of two proteins; amyloid and tau. In this study, we wanted to know if we could measure these changes in blood and if these changes accurately reflect the changes happening in the brain.  We…
Read More

Doctors and researchers encourage people to be mindful of their brain health

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
DOTHAN, Ala. (WTVY) - Alzheimer’s and Dementia affect millions of people worldwide. Changes in the brains of people with the disease can start decades before the person actually experiences symptoms, that’s according to the AHEAD Study. With June being Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness month, doctors and researchers of the AHEAD study are urging people to be conscious about their health and their loved ones. Doctor Josh Grill, a University of California Irvine professor, shares tips to improve and become mindful of your brain health. He said taking part in physical exercise, eating a healthy diet, getting a good night’s sleep…
Read More

How exercise may help prevent Alzheimer’s

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
Image Credit: David Tett via Centre for Ageing Better Exercise could be a powerful defense against Alzheimer’s disease. Three dementia researchers explain how it works. NOVA - When it comes to dementia prevention, sleep and exercise may work together, says neuroscientist Miranda Chappel-Farley, a Ph.D. candidate at University of California, Irvine. … Together, they create a powerful bulwark against dementia and represent a lifestyle factor ignored at your peril, says Chappel-Farley, who cautions against “targeting exercise but not paying attention to sleep.” Read more here >
Read More

New treatments for psychosis in Alzheimer’s disease – pimavanserin and the FDA, redux

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
Contributed by David Sultzer, MD and Joshua Grill, PhD An FDA Advisory Committee met on June 17 to provide input to the Agency regarding the effectiveness of pimavanserin for the treatment of psychosis in Alzheimer’s disease.  The Committee voted 9 to 3, with the majority finding insufficient evidence of effectiveness in this population. This input comes on the heels of an FDA review last year that declined to approve pimavanserin for psychosis in a broad group of dementia syndromes, including Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, Lewy body and Parkinson’s disease dementia, and frontotemporal dementias.  At that time, the Agency felt that…
Read More

UCI researchers aim to diversify clinical research participation with $3.7 million NIH grant

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
The multidisciplinary team will focus on participant recruitment and retainment for Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders research Josh Grill, left, and Daniel Gillen will examine what role recruitment registries for ADRD research can play in overcoming exclusions to improve research outcomes. What is the best way to recruit participants to join a clinical studies registry, and can such registries help better diversify clinical research samples? These are two critical questions that UCI researchers are tackling with a new National Institutes of Health grant, “Recruiting and Retaining Participants from Disadvantaged Neighborhoods in Registries.” The work will be led by Joshua Grill, professor…
Read More

UCI wins 5-year, $14M NIH grant to study brain circuits susceptible to aging, Alzheimer’s disease

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
Findings will advance development of better early diagnostic tools, new treatment strategies “This project will capture a composite of disease features to expand our understanding of the brain circuits susceptible to aging and Alzheimer’s. Our findings will facilitate the development of more effective early diagnostic tools and the discovery of new therapies,” says UCI’s Xiangmin Xu. Steve Zylius / UCI The University of California, Irvine has been awarded a five-year, $14 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study brain circuits that are susceptible to aging and Alzheimer’s disease. The research findings will advance the development of early…
Read More

UCI MIND and UPENN Colleagues offer new guidance

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
In a blunt rejection of current norms, two leaders of biomarker disclosure research argue research participants should have the opportunity to know whether they have biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease . Biomarkers, or biological indicators of a disease, are essential to the study and diagnosis of Alzheimer’s and other diseases that cause dementia. Clinicians use imaging such as MRI and PET scans to measure biomarkers and make accurate diagnoses. Blood tests are fast becoming available too. The tests also allow researchers to develop targeted drug therapies. But in both clinical care and research, biomarker results are infrequently disclosed. Insurers typically do…
Read More

Hope Dies Last – Alzheimer’s: A Journey of Lost Memories

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, Community Events, In the News
Don't miss this upcoming documentary filmed by OCWorld, featuring Director Dr. Joshua Grill - Tune in this Sunday on KDOCTV at 3:30pm! Contributed by OCWorld: "Tune in THIS SUNDAY on KDOCTV at 3:30pm for the premier of our final installment of our first season. This is Hope Dies Last - Alzheimer's: A Journey of Lost Memories. This short documentary explores the impacts of Alzheimer's disease in Orange County, a growing epicenter for the disease. Featuring insights on the disease from experts like Dr. Joshua Grill from UCI MIND and Deborah Levy, Executive Director of the Alzheimer's Association OC Chapter.
Read More

Cell therapy: a new frontier in Parkinson’s disease

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
After decades of research into the causes and treatment of Parkinson's disease, UCI Health neurologist Dr. Claire Henchcliffe is hopeful that a new cell therapy can finally bring meaningful relief to patients with the progressive neurodegenerative movement disorder. A national expert on Parkinson's disease, she is one of a small group of U.S. researchers conducting a first-in-human clinical trial of transplanted stem cells engineered to replace dopamine-producing neurons that are destroyed by the debilitating and incurable condition. As the brain loses its ability to produce the potent neurotransmitting chemical, that leads to the tremors, stiffness, slowness and lack of coordination seen in Parkinson's patients. The…
Read More

Visit-to-Visit Blood Pressure Variability and CSF Alzheimer Disease Biomarkers in Cognitively Unimpaired and Mildly Impaired Older Adults

By Carousel Slider, Commentary, In the News
Blood pressure variability is an emerging risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia, but mechanisms remain unclear. The current study examined whether visit-to-visit blood pressure variability is related to CSF Alzheimer’s disease biomarker levels over time, and whether associations differed by APOE ϵ4 carrier status.
Read More