In a plenary session at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) today, NIA director Dr. Richard Hodes discussed innovative ways to conduct research, share data, and translate findings into practice to accelerate Alzheimer’s and related dementias research.
“The cutting-edge research supported and conducted by NIA and other NIH institutes has helped to revolutionize the way we think about Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias,” said Dr. Hodes. “We are eager to make the tools and resources as widely available as possible to spur us toward our urgent goal of preventing or effectively treating these diseases by 2025.”

To learn more about NIH-supported data resources and initiatives, click on the links below.
Accelerating Medicines Partnership Alzheimer's Disease (AMP AD)
The AMP AD program is a precompetitive partnership among government, industry, and nonprofit organizations that focuses on discovering novel, clinically relevant therapeutic targets and on developing biomarkers to help validate existing therapeutic targets.
Alzheimer’s Biomarker Consortium – Down Syndrome (ABC-DS)
The ABC-DS study is a joint study conducted by two groups of research collaborators—Neurodegeneration in Aging Down Syndrome (NiAD) and Alzheimer's Disease in Down Syndrome (ADDS)— and is supported by NIA and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).
Alzheimer's Clinical Trials Consortium (ACTC)
The ACTC will accelerate and expand studies for therapies in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. The infrastructure of 35 sites across the United States will address the timeframe, complexity and expense of the recruitment process and site activation for Alzheimer’s trials to find new and effective ways to treat or prevent these devastating disorders.
Alzheimer's Disease Genetics Portfolio
The Genetics of Alzheimer’s Disease Portfolio, including the Alzheimer’s Disease Sequencing Project (ADSP), supports research to discover long term treatments for the disease by the identification of risk factor and protective genes and the underlying molecular pathways.
Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI)
Launched in 2004, ADNI is an ongoing, longitudinal, multicenter study designed to develop clinical, imaging, genetic, and biochemical biomarkers for the early detection and tracking of Alzheimer’s disease.
Alzheimer's Pre-Clinical Efficacy Database (Alz-PED)
AlzPED is a publicly available, searchable, data resource that aims to increase the transparency, reproducibility and translatability of preclinical efficacy studies of candidate therapeutics for Alzheimer’s disease.
Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers (ADRCs)
NIA-funded Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers (ADRCs) work to translate research advances into improved diagnosis and care, as well as find ways to treat and possibly prevent Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.
Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer’s Network (DIAN)
DIAN is an international research effort to find solutions to treat or prevent this disease and, potentially, all forms of Alzheimer’s.
International Alzheimer's Disease Research Portfolio (IADRP)
Launched in 2010 as a joint collaboration between the NIA and the Alzheimer's Association, IADRP enables users to assess the portfolios of major organizations for areas of overlap as well as areas of opportunities in which to collaborate and coordinate in a collective effort to advance AD research.
Model Organism Development and Evaluation for Late-Onset AD (MODEL-AD)
The MODEL-AD initiative works to develop, validate and disseminate new, precise animal models of Alzheimer’s disease.
Molecular Mechanisms of the Vascular Etiology of Alzheimer's Disease Consortium (M2OVE-AD)
M2OVE-AD is an NIH-led team-science venture to build a nuanced model of Alzheimer's disease that more accurately reflects its many causes and pathways.
National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center (NACC)
Funded by NIA, NACC has developed and maintains a large relational database of standardized clinical and neuropathological research data. NACC provides a valuable resource for both exploratory and explanatory Alzheimer's disease research. NACC data are freely available to all researchers.
National Centralized Repository for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (NCRAD)
The goal of the National Centralized Repository for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (NCRAD) is to support research focused on the etiology, early detection, and therapeutic development for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.