ONLINE: Alzheimer's Association International Conference

press release: July 27-31 the world’s premier annual forum for Alzhemer’s and dementia research, the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC), is being held virtually and for free. AAIC 2020 will deliver the latest dementia research and theories from around the globe using our state-of-the-art virtual platform. Explore the full breadth of the AAIC virtual program — including plenary sessions, live sessions, on-demand sessions and poster presentations — each guided by a daily research theme.

Exciting research investigating whether brain vascular health modifies Alzheimer’s disease will be explored by Leonardo Rivera, Ph.D., recipient of a 2020 International Research Grant from the Alzheimer’s Association. This new research will look at brain vascular imaging (using MRI) techniques with the goal to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease earlier and help to slow cognitive decline. He will be presenting a poster on his latest findings of vascular health related to new imaging methods at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference on July 28. 

The grant provides Dr. Rivera $174,999 over three years to work on translating 4D flow MRI into the clinic setting. He will focus on developing MRI techniques to look at vessels to the brain to quantify blood flow, and if these techniques can help detect the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. 

“Alzheimer’s is a complex disease and we need the best and brightest working to find a cure,” says Dr. Rivera. “With more than 5 million Americans living with this disease, it’s a social and public health problem for our world. If we can better understand how vascular health is related to Alzheimer’s, then we have the potential to develop targeted treatments for vascular disease that might impact Alzheimer’s disease.”

Dr. Rivera has lived in Madison for over a decade. He completed his Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin-Madison with his dissertation on vascular health and Alzheimer’s disease. He is a native of Puerto Rico. 

The Alzheimer’s Association is the largest nonprofit funder of Alzheimer’s research in the world. The Association is currently investing $167 million in more than 500 active best-of-field projects in 27 countries.

Attracting brilliant and innovative scientists to the Alzheimer’s field is a major goal of the Alzheimer’s Association Research Grant and Fellowship Awards. The program funds primarily early-career scientists working on new ideas in Alzheimer’s research. The hope is that this will lead to future grant applications to government and other funding sources, including larger grants available through the Alzheimer's Association. The Association makes it a high priority to support researchers from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups.

“The only way we will achieve a world without Alzheimer’s is through research,” said Dave Grams, Executive Director, Alzheimer’s Association Wisconsin Chapter. “Funding Dr. Rivera not only supports this critical project, but is part of a broader Alzheimer’s Association effort to keep the best and brightest scientists working on this disease,”. 

The Research Grant and Fellowship Awards are part of the broader Alzheimer’s Association International Research Grant Program. Alzheimer’s Association funding has led to some of the most important research breakthroughs, including the first Alzheimer’s drug studies and the ability to visualize amyloid plaque buildup in the living brain.