Alzheimer's Association Update

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• Annual ICAD fosters collaboration, raises awareness
• The Alzheimer's Project receives two Emmys
• 2009 International Research Grant Program awards more than $13 million

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Annual ICAD fosters collaboration, raises awareness 

We are excited about the first annual meeting of the Alzheimer's Association International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease (ICAD). Held in Vienna, Austria, in July 2009, this was the third largest ICAD on record in terms of attendance, and the second largest in a non-U.S. location, drawing nearly 3800 scientists from 74 countries. More than 1500 abstracts were submitted, illustrating that the field of Alzheimer's disease (AD) research is at a most exciting and productive time. In fact, between 2000 and 2008, scientific abstract submissions to ICAD nearly doubled. These exciting, pre-publication reports contain the incremental advances, learnings, and major breakthroughs that will advance the field toward better diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.

An additional critical role that ICAD fulfills is furthering the AD cause outside of the research community to increase public awareness and concern about AD. News media coverage of ICAD raises awareness internationally among the general public, legislators/governments, and affected individuals and families. It shines a spotlight on the very research and researchers that will bring improved quality of life to millions of people around the world. The move to an annual conference enables us to increase the frequency of that visibility. This year more than 111 million media impressions were the direct result of ICAD news coverage.

We are equally excited about the additional commitments that the Alzheimer's Association has made to broaden input and participation in developing ICAD content. For example, members of the International Society to Advance Alzheimer Research and Treatment (ISTAART) were invited to make suggestions for ICAD 2010 plenary speakers, as were members of the broader research community. Our vision is that as ISTAART matures it will become a major source for ICAD programmatic ideas and nominations for the conference's program committee. To join ISTAART, go to www.alz.org/ISTAART.

Because training new investigators and fostering collaboration is critical to the Alzheimer's Association mission, we will continue to strive to keep the costs to attend ICAD as low as possible in order to encourage the maximum attendance at this vital meeting—a philosophy we have worked from since we started managing the meeting. The Alzheimer's Association budgets toward a break-even position across conferences to allow for the significantly higher costs of hosting non-U.S. meetings.

The Alzheimer's Association is dedicated to the AD research community and this conference, in keeping with our collective goal of finding a cure for this disease. It is our honor and privilege to foster a vital, collegial research community by hosting ICAD now and into the future. Together, we can make real the vision of a world without AD.

We thank you for your attendance and contributions in the past and look forward to seeing you July 10–15 in Honolulu, Hawaii, at ICAD 2010.

Ronald Petersen, MD, PhD

Director, Mayo Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (Rochester, MN)

Chair, Medical and Scientific Advisory Council, Alzheimer's Association

Christine van Broeckhoven, PhD, DSc

Director, VIB Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Antwerp

Co-Chair ICAD 2010

Richard Mayeux, MD, MS

Sergievsky Professor and Co-Director of the Taub Institute

Co-Chair ICAD 2010

William Thies, PhD

Chief Medical & Scientific Officer, Alzheimer's Association

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The Alzheimer's Project receives two Emmys 

The HBO documentary, The Alzheimer's Project, was honored in September with two Emmys, one for exceptional merit in nonfiction filmmaking and another for outstanding children's nonfiction program. The Alzheimer's Association played a key role in the development of the four-part documentary, opening the doors of ICAD for the filming of science segments and identifying and introducing many of the families and scientists whose stories are told in the documentary.

The Emmy for exceptional merit in nonfiction filmmaking went to “The Memory Loss Tapes,” a segment of the documentary that shadows seven individuals in various stages of AD. The Emmy for outstanding children's nonfiction program was awarded to the segment, “Grandpa, Do You Know Who I am? with Maria Shriver,” which describes the experiences of being a child or grandchild of a person with AD. First Lady of California and former journalist Shriver, whose father lives with AD, served as executive producer of the series.

In August, The Alzheimer's Project was also recognized by the Television Critics Association, which selected the documentary to receive its award for outstanding achievement in news and information.

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2009 International Research Grant Program awards more than $13 million 

Eighty-four AD researchers from around the globe were awarded a total of more than $13 million in grant funding through the Alzheimer's Association 2009 International Research Grant Program. Since its founding in 1982, the program has awarded over $265 million to more than 1,800 best-of-field grant proposals, making the Association the world's largest private, nonprofit funder of AD research. Funded projects represent the proposals ranked highest by 1,400-plus reviewers from 30 countries who volunteer their time to the Association.

Twenty-six percent of funded studies examine the underlying pathology of AD; 24 percent, the molecular mechanisms and chemical changes related to AD; 22 percent, brain imaging, biomarkers and clinical tools that may result in earlier diagnosis and intervention; 11 percent, methods for improving care for people with dementia through new technologies and for exploring the values and beliefs of diverse cultures that impact use of health services; and 7 percent, other factors that may contribute to AD, such as vascular and genetic factors.

Grants were awarded in eight categories. For a list of awardees, visit www.alz.org/2009grantrecipients.

Letters of intent are being accepted for the 2010 grant program and must be received by December 1, 2009. Visit www.alz.org/2010grantprogram for details.