Creating a transatlantic research enterprise for preventing Alzheimer's disease

Abstract

In recognition of the global problem posed by Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, an international think-tank meeting was convened by Biocat, the Pasqual Maragall Foundation, and the Lou Ruvo Brain Institute in February 2009. The meeting initiated the planning of a European Union-North American collaborative research enterprise to expedite the delay and ultimate prevention of dementing disorders. The key aim is to build parallel and complementary research infrastructure that will support international standardization and inter-operability among researchers in both continents. The meeting identified major challenges, opportunities for research resources and support, integration with ongoing efforts, and identification of key domains to influence the design and administration of the enterprise.

a Lou Ruvo Brain Institute, Las Vegas, NV, USA

b Fundació Pasqual Maragall I Parc de Recerca Biomédica de Barcelona (PRBB), Barcelona, Spain

c Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Gerontology, Acute Unit for Alzheimer's Patients, Toulouse, France

d Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CSIC-UAM), C/ Nicolás Cabrera, 1 Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain

e Dirección Médica de Fundació ACE, Instituto Català de Neurociències Aplicades, Barcelona, Spain

f Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

g Division of Geriatric Psychiatry, Central Institute for Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany

h The McGill Center for Studies in Aging, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

i Department of Neurology, University of Navarre, Pamplona, Spain

j Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

k Group Health Center for Health Studies, Seattle, WA, USA

l Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

m Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA

n Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA

o Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

p Department of Geriatrics, INSERM U558, Toulouse University Hospital Center, Toulouse, France

q Science and Medical Writer, Elverson, PA, USA

Corresponding author. Tel.: 702-263-9797; Fax: 702-260-9797.

PII: S1552-5260(09)01508-8

doi:10.1016/j.jalz.2009.05.158

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