MADISON, WI, MARCH 23, 2023 – The Alzheimer’s Association is pleased to announce that research grants have been awarded to three UW-Madison researchers in the fight against Alzheimer’s and dementia. The Alzheimer’s Association is the largest nonprofit funder of Alzheimer’s research in the world, investing over $310 million in more than 950 projects in 48 countries.
“We are committed to investing in promising and innovative research and we’re proud that Wisconsin is home to scientists who are leading the way,” said Dave Grams, executive director, Alzheimer’s Association Wisconsin Chapter. “Each of these projects helps us further our mission to support those on a journey with Alzheimer’s and ultimately find a cure.”
The Alzheimer’s Association awarded grants to:
- Andrea Gilmore-Bykovskyi, PhD, RN, associate professor of emergency medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, BerbeeWalsh Department of Emergency Medicine
- Topic: Person-centered Outcome Measures for Alzheimer’s disease Patient Emergency Care Experiences
- 2-year, $249,621 Advancing Research on Care and Outcome Measurement (ARCOM) Award
- The emergency department can be a challenging environment for someone living with dementia. This study will establish care priorities of people living with dementia during visits to the emergency department and develop patient-centered tools to evaluate and measure those priorities. This is a particularly pressing research gap as interventions to improve emergency care for people with dementia are expanding rapidly but without adequate tools to assess their
impact on patients and caregivers.
- David Plante, MD, PhD, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
- Topic: Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Daytime Sleepiness in Alzheimer’s disease
- 3-year, $149,997 Alzheimer’s Association Research Grant.
- The research is focused on obstructive sleep apnea and daytime sleepiness in Alzheimer’s disease. Both conditions are associated with a greater amount of beta-amyloid, which may increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s.
- Brandon Fico, PhD, UW-Madison, Department of Kinesiology
- Topic: Arterial Stiffness and Cerebral Hemodynamics Impact on Alzheimer’s disease
- 3-year, $175,000 Research Fellowship
- The research investigates how age-related changes in the cardiovascular system — such as stiffening of the arteries — impact brain blood flow, and how these changes correlate with biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease. The research also looks at how reductions in brain blood flow, typically seen with advancing age, affect blood vessel health within the brain.
About the Alzheimer’s Association ®
The Alzheimer’s Association is a worldwide voluntary health organization dedicated to Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Our mission is to lead the way to end Alzheimer’s and all other dementia — by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer’s and all other dementia ® . To learn more about Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia and find local support services and resources, visit alz.org/wi.
