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 >
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More
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…
Read More
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…
Read More
Karen Bleier/AFP/Getty Images In a letter released on Tuesday, October 23, retired supreme court justice Sandra Day O'Connor announced a diagnosis of probable Alzheimer's dementia, and that she will begin stepping down from public life. O'Connor, the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court, was a devoted caregiver to her husband John after his Alzheimer's diagnosis in 2005. NPR reports the reaction of Chief Justice John Roberts: "I was saddened to learn that Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, like many Americans, faces the challenge of dementia. But I was not at all surprised that she used the occasion of sharing that…
Read More
As we gather for our annual conference, today, September 21st, is World Alzheimer's Day. Maria Shriver penned a powerful op-ed with the support of UCI MIND Director Dr. Joshua Grill to inspire us to join together to overcome Alzheimer's disease. To read Maria Shriver's challenge, click here >
Read More
