2021 NIH Alzheimer's Research Summit: Path to Precision Medicine for Treatment and Prevention
On April 19-22, 2021, leading scientists and other innovators, public health advocates, and other stakeholders met for a virtual summit showcasing progress in Alzheimer’s disease research. Participants also identified gaps and opportunities toward the goal of precision medicine for Alzheimer’s treatment and prevention.
About the 2021 NIH Alzheimer's Research Summit
NIH Alzheimer's Research Summits are key strategic planning meetings tied to the implementation of the first goal of the National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease: to effectively treat and prevent Alzheimer's disease by 2025. They bring together a multi-stakeholder community including government, industry, academia, private foundation, and patient advocacy groups, to further integrated, translational Alzheimer’s research. The goal is to accelerate the development of effective, disease-modifying, and palliative therapies for the cognitive as well as neuropsychiatric symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.
The 2012, 2015, and 2018 Alzheimer’s Research Summits identified gaps and opportunities that served, following review by relevant Institute and Departmental advisory councils, as the basis for developing research milestones. These milestones detail specific steps and success criteria for the NIH and other stakeholders toward the development of effective treatment and prevention for Alzheimer’s. The milestones span the entire Alzheimer’s research landscape including basic, translational, clinical, and health services research and serve as the basis for the development of the NIH Alzheimer's Disease Bypass Budget.
The 2021 Summit built on the foundation laid through the work of the previous summit participants. Over the course of the Summit, a global audience of researchers and the public had an opportunity to contribute individually to the discussions through multiple open forum sessions.
Summit Format and Schedule
The 2021 Summit was held virtually April 19 – April 22 from 10:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. ET.
The program was organized around seven major themes/sessions:
- Deconstructing Disease Complexity: from Populations to Single Cells, from Genes to Multiscale Models
- Enabling Infrastructure and Incentives to Improve Research Rigor, Reproducibility, and Translatability
- Accelerating Therapy Development: Open Science from Targets to Trials
- Diversifying the Therapeutic Pipeline to Develop Precision Medicines
- Emerging Biomarkers Landscape
- Advancing Drug Repurposing and Combination Therapy Development
- Understanding the Impact of the Exposome on Brain Health to Advance Disease Prevention
Summit Program & Agenda
The program outline for the summit is below. The detailed agenda is available here.
Monday, April 19, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. ET
Introductory Remarks
Plenary Talks
Session One: Deconstructing Disease Complexity: From Populations to Single Cells, From Genes to Multiscale Models
View the Summit Day 1 videocast.
Tuesday, April 20, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. ET
Session Two: Enabling Infrastructure and Incentives to Improve Research Rigor, Reproducibility, and Translatability
Session Three: Accelerating Therapy Development – Open Science from Targets to Trials
View the Summit Day 2 videocast.
Wednesday, April 21, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. ET
Session Four: Diversifying the Therapeutic Pipeline to Develop Precision Medicines
Session Five: Emerging Biomarkers Landscape
View the Summit Day 3 videocast.
Thursday, April 22, 2021 | 10:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. ET
Session Six: Advancing Drug Repurposing and Combination Therapy Development
Session Seven: Understanding the Impact of the Exposome on Brain Health to Advance Disease Prevention
View the Summit Day 4 videocast.
Registration
Registration for the summit has closed.
Speaker Biographies
The 2021 NIH Alzheimer’s Summit featured a diverse and cross-disciplinary group of speakers and panelists working on Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative disorders, and other complex diseases. The speakers’ biographies are available on the registration website here.
Summit Media Inquiries
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
NIH virtual summit to showcase advances in Alzheimer’s research
Hear from researchers about the latest progress, plans, and promise for treatments and prevention
WHAT: With recent dramatic increases in funding and progress, including a drug in the news for possible approval, the promise of Alzheimer’s disease research has never been more exciting.
The event will include discussion on the development of a diverse translational workforce, increasing diversity in clinical trials, and strategies to promote open science practices and accelerate the development of affordable medicines. A global audience of researchers and the public will have opportunities to contribute to the dialogue.
WHEN/WHERE: NIH Videocast, April 19-22, 2021, 10 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. ET. Registration is free and open to the public.
SPOKESPERSONS:
- Richard J. Hodes, M.D., NIA Director
- Marie A. Bernard, M.D., NIA Deputy Director
- Eliezer Masliah, M.D., NIA Division of Neuroscience Director
- Suzana Petanceska, Ph.D., Office for Strategic Development and Partnerships Director, NIA Division of Neuroscience
- Laurie Ryan, Ph.D., Clinical Interventions and Diagnostics Branch Chief, NIA Division of Neuroscience
CONTACT: Members of the media: Please contact the NIA Office of Communications and Public Liaison or call (301) 496-1752 for more information.