A new study published in JAMA Neurology explored participants' perspectives on receiving amyloid PET scan results as part of an Alzheimer’s disease prevention clinical trial, the A4 study. Participants at UCI MIND contributed to this important research, led by investigators at the University of Pennsylvania (read more about the study here). Amyloid PET is a biomarker test that could someday be used to identify people at increased risk for Alzheimer's disease who may benefit from preventative or disease-delaying treatments. Biomarker testing such as amyloid PET is being used more and more in the research setting to identify participants appropriate for Alzheimer's disease…
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(from left) Andrea Wasserman, Frank LaFerla, David Baglietto-Vargas, Grant MacGregor, Ali Mortazavi, Kim Green, Andrea Tenner UCI MIND co-director Frank LaFerla and Drs. Andrea Tenner, Kim Green, Grant MacGregor, Marcelo Wood, and David Baglietto-Vargas were awarded an $11.35 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to create the next generation of mouse models to study Alzheimer’s disease. The news released by UCI on October 9 continues to draw local media attention, featured in the LA Times/Daily Pilot and Newport Beach Patch this morning. UCI MIND is already home to the discovery of the first ever mouse model to develop…
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Maria Shriver, internationally renowned Alzheimer’s disease advocate, founder of The Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement, and former First Lady of California, will be honored at UCI MIND’s 8th annual A December to Remember gala on Saturday, December 2, 2017. “Maria Shriver is a champion for Alzheimer’s disease research and a voice of strength for many families and individuals who are suffering as a result of this disease,” says Dr. Joshua Grill, co-director of UCI MIND. “We are proud to partner with Ms. Shriver and honor her important work that continues to shine a light on Alzheimer’s disease.” Shriver is the founder of…
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Join UCI MIND for its quarterly ASK THE DOC session where a panel of expert researchers and clinicians from UC Irvine will answer all of your most pressing questions! Date: Friday, October 27, 2017 Time: 10:00am-12:00pm Location: Alzheimer's Association, Orange County Chapter (770 The City Drive South, 1st Floor, Orange 92868) Space is limited! Reserve your spot online bit.ly/UCIASKTHEDOC or by calling 800.272.3900. For questions, please contact 949.824.9475.
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Drs. Frank LaFerla and Andrea Tenner will lead a new NIA-funded project to humanize mouse genes for research into Alzheimer's disease. “The new mouse will more accurately mimic human Alzheimer’s conditions, enabling superior testing of therapies designed to slow or prevent the disease,” said Dr. LaFerla, Co-Director of UCI MIND...read more >
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Marsha and Lionel Grove met in high school and have been married for over 50 years. Marsha graduated from UCLA and worked as a clinical laboratory scientist. Lionel is a USC alumnus and aerospace engineer. They now both participate in multiple studies at UCI MIND. What motivated you to participate in research at UCI MIND? Marsha: Our families are surrounded by Alzheimer’s disease. My sister and my mother both died with Alzheimer’s disease and Lionel has it in his family as well. We’ve experienced it first hand, so we want a cure to be found because we know just how…
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Today, September 21, is WORLD ALZHEIMER'S DAY! Our faculty and staff are spending this day, as they do every other day: In the laboratory performing cutting edge research with molecules, cells, and animal models to unlock the causes of Alzheimer's disease and identify treatment targets Working with volunteer participants who have donated their time to help us better understand, diagnose, and treat Alzheimer’s disease through research Conducting clinical trials of promising therapies we hope will prevent, reduce, or reverse Alzheimer’s disease We hope today you will consider doing one or all of the following: ADVOCATE: Write to your local, state, or federal representative and communicate the need for increased funding for Alzheimer’s research and improved…
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Frank LaFerla, PhD, Co-Director of UCI MIND, Dean of the UCI School of Biological Sciences Today, UCI announced a transformative gift of $200 million to create the Susan and Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences (press release). The gift is the largest in the history of the university and will launch and will launch a major integrative health initiative that will ultimately benefit all members of the Orange County community and the world. You may be wondering what is integrative medicine? In the simplest terms, it is an approach that focuses healthcare on the whole person and the whole community, using…
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by Mark Mapstone, PhD, Professor of Neurology By now, most Alzheimer’s researchers have seen the writing on the wall. If we are to realize successful treatments or even a cure for Alzheimer’s disease we must turn our attention from the study of patients who have already developed dementia to those who are in the earliest stages of the disease where presumably, the brain pathology is less extensive and possibly more receptive to intervention. This shift to studying preclinical disease will allow us to determine exactly what the earliest brain changes are and hopefully, develop means to treat, reverse, or even…
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