LUBBOCK The Alzheimer’s Association Wednesday announced a landmark $100 million investment into research initiatives in 2023. This unparalleled commitment stands as the largest single-year investment since the organization’s founding in 1980.
In 2023, the Alzheimer’s Association funded 271 scientific investigations from researchers at all career levels examining topics across the spectrum of dementia science. The Association’s global, cumulative impact on research now includes more than $360 million invested in over 1,000 active research projects in 53 countries, spanning six continents.
Here in Texas, $1.6 million has been awarded to advance research efforts. This includes research being conducted in Lubbock investigating BT2 as a novel therapeutic agent that prevents the onset of Alzheimer’s by impacting multiple targets in the brain.
“The only way we will achieve a world without Alzheimer’s is through research. This critical funding taking place at Texas Tech University gets us closer to breakthroughs in diagnosis, treatment and prevention, and is part of a broader Alzheimer’s Association effort to eliminate Alzheimer’s and all other dementia,” Greg Sciuto, Texas Regional Lead, Alzheimer’s Association, said in a news release.
In addition to research grant funding, the Association’s investment in research supports a wide range of global leadership initiatives:
- Global scientific/medical conferences, including the field’s largest and most prestigious event: the annual Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC). Nearly 11,000 scientists attended AAIC 2023 from 110 countries.
- Three influential peer-reviewed journals, including the flagship Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association.
- TrialMatch — a free clinical studies matching service.
- The Alzheimer’s Association International Society to Advance Alzheimer’s Research and Treatment (ISTAART) — an inclusive global network of more than 10,000 members representing over 120 countries.
Alzheimer’s is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States. It kills more Americans than diabetes, and more than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined. More than 6 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Association 2023 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures. By 2050, the number of people with Alzheimer’s is projected to increase to nearly 13 million, barring the development of medical breakthroughs to prevent, slow or stop the disease. In Texas alone there are more than 400,000 people living with the disease and 1,000,000 caregivers.
For more information, visit the Alzheimer’s Association at alz.org.
