Bryce Mander, PhD Colleagues at Washington University School of Medicine published novel findings on the correlation between tau tangles, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease pathology, and sleep quality in people who were cognitively normal or who had mild cognitive impairment. On ALZFORUM, UCI MIND faculty member, Dr. Bryce Mander commented, “This is an important paper because it shows for the first time how tau is related to sleep deficits. That’s going to be important in advancing our understanding of how Alzheimer’s disease pathology affects sleep.” Dr. Mander, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry & Human Behavior at UCI, has published several important findings on…
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Washington Post article highlights need for Latino representation in Alzheimer's clinical studies Contributed by Christian Salazar, PhD, UCI MIND Associate Project Scientist Andres Martin lost his dad to a rare form of early-onset Alzheimer’s. He hopes a cure is found before his daughter, Alexis, grows up. (Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post) A rare form of Alzheimer's disease, caused by a gene mutation first discovered among people living in Jalisco, Mexico, develops at much earlier age than typical cases of Alzheimer’s disease. Andres Martin, a 31-year old Marine, has this 'Jalisco mutation', and is committed to raising awareness that the fight…
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Dr. Ira Lott, Director of the UCI MIND Down Syndrome Program, discussed the connection between Down syndrome and Alzheimer’s disease with the Orange County Business Journal this week. Dr. Lott and his team conduct critical research studies with volunteer participants to improve understanding of brain aging and dementia in Down syndrome. Click here to read the article > To learn more about studies in Down syndrome and Alzheimer’s disease, click here >
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Contributed by Joshua Grill, PhD, Director of UCI MIND In a new study, colleagues at the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at Washington University have found that levels of the cerebrospinal fluid protein tau, one of the hallmark pathologies in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), is lower in African Americans compared to Whites. This was true both for older participants who did and did not have memory problems. The study is not the first to find such differences between African Americans and Caucasians and it has important implications to a number of important areas of AD research. First, there is a growing movement…
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IRVINE, Calif. (Dec. 11, 2018) – UCI MIND, the University of California, Irvine’s Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, Orange County’s only state and federally designated Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC), hosted its 9th annual A December to Remember Gala on Saturday, December 1 at the Balboa Bay Resort in Newport Beach. UCI MIND raised a record-shattering $370,000 through underwriting, ticket sales and donations from the attendees. “UCI MIND would not be at the forefront of Alzheimer’s disease research without the strong community behind us,” notes Dr. Joshua Grill, Director of UCI MIND. “We are forever grateful for the…
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Vivek Swarup, PhD, Assistant Professor of Neurobiology & Behavior UCI MIND faculty member, Dr. Vivek Swarup, and colleagues at UCLA, Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. in Japan, Emory University School of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, and the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, published novel findings yesterday in Nature Medicine on two major groups of genes associated with Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal dementia and unraveled a novel microRNA, miR-203, as a master regulator of neuronal death. In human cell cultures containing AD-associated mutations, the researchers showed that certain experimental drugs altered the loss of brain cells associated with neurodegenerative disease. Dr. Swarup says, “I’m hopeful these important findings…
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Giving Tuesday is a global giving movement supported by individuals, families, organizations, businesses, and communities worldwide. At UCI MIND, researchers are investigating solutions to a global health crisis that affects over 40 million people. Today, join us by supporting our mission to rid the world of Alzheimer's disease. DONATE
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Fall 2018 Newsletter - In this issue of MIND Matters: - Grand Opening of UCI Sleep Center led by Dr. Ruth Benca - Wine for the MIND hosted by Bob & Virginia Naeve - Meet the REMIND Co-Chairs - Study Partners in Alzheimer's Research: Gwen Ritchie - Philanthropist Highlight: Greg & Cindy Lai - Donations, Sept 2017-2018 ----- Click to read the Fall 2018 Newsletter - MIND Matters
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UCI MIND faculty member Dr. Mathew Blurton-Jones was awarded a $500,000 grant from Orange County Community Foundation to test 1200+ FDA-approved compounds for effectiveness in Alzheimer's disease treatment. His lab seeks to find the top 20 genes and drugs that safely prevent brain damage caused by microglia, which are critical immune cells in the brain that 'prune' unnecessary neuronal connections, or synapses. In the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease, damage can be caused by microglia 'overpruning' synapses, leading to loss of necessary connections. UCI News reports that Dr. Blurton-Jones and his team are "grateful to be the recipients of this…
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Dr. Ira Lott with research participant in UCI MIND Down Syndrome Program UCI MIND faculty member, Dr. Ira Lott, is one of the world's leading experts in unraveling the link between Down syndrome and Alzheimer's disease (Learn more in the Winter 2016 issue of MIND Matters). His team has been selected as a Center of Excellence for the new Down Syndrome Clinical Trial Network (DS-CTN) launched by LuMIND, a Down syndrome research foundation. As part of this important network, Dr. Lott and his team will receive funding to conduct clinical trials of promising therapies for participants with Down syndrome, at…
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