Watch for NIA at AAIC in the Windy City!
NIA staff are gearing up for the annual Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) 2018, taking place this year in Chicago, July 22-26. AAIC is dedicated to advancing dementia science, and we’re looking forward to attending alongside thousands from the Alzheimer’s community.
AAIC is an opportunity for dementia researchers, clinicians, advocates, and health care providers from around the world to share research discoveries, learn about emerging technologies and new approaches, and advance our shared goals of discovering effective treatments and preventions for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Many of the discussions and presentations will center on projects and collaborations supported by NIH.
Where can you find NIA staff?
NIA leadership and staff are participating in several sessions, so keep an eye out for us if you want to touch base. If you’re interested in NIH projects and/or support, here are a few sessions you may want to catch:
- Tuesday, July 24, 10:30 – 11:00 a.m.
The Winds of Change: Transformative Data Resources for Alzheimer’s Research
In this plenary session, NIA Director Dr. Richard Hodes will talk about innovative ways to conduct research, share data, and translate findings into practice. Cutting-edge research conducted and supported by NIA and other NIH institutes has helped to revolutionize the way we think about Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
- Monday, July 23, 4:15 – 5:45 p.m.
New NIH Policies on Inclusion – Implications for Alzheimer’s Clinical Study Recruitment and Tools to Help
NIA Deputy Director Dr. Marie Bernard and I will chair this session, which will provide an overview of recent NIH initiatives to support increasing recruitment and retention into clinical studies for Alzheimer’s disease. NIA staff will present results of a trans-NIH portfolio analysis of inclusion showing a need for increased recruitment of a broad spectrum of people; progress on a national strategy for Alzheimer’s disease clinical study recruitment; and a new funding opportunity to enhance the science of recruitment.
- Monday, July 23, 2:00 – 3:30 p.m.
NIA Health Disparities Research Network: Novel Approaches for Addressing Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias
Dr. Carl Hill, director of NIA’s Office of Special Populations, and Dr. Cerise Elliott, senior scientific program analyst in our Division of Neuroscience, will serve as co-moderators of this session, which will highlight currently funded research focusing on health disparities in Alzheimer’s disease. Eight presentations and accompanying discussions will provide important research approaches for addressing health disparities over the life course and in late life.
- Wednesday, July 25, 2:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Operationalizing the NIA-AA AD Research Framework
The new National Institute on Aging-Alzheimer’s Association research framework outlines a biological approach for defining Alzheimer’s disease designed to facilitate better understanding of the disease process and result in a faster approach to testing interventions. This symposium will provide an overview of the framework and include a discussion on criteria for its future evaluation.
In a pre-conference workshop on Saturday, July 21 from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m., Sage Bionetworks will launch a tool to help researchers leverage analyses from the NIA-funded Accelerating Medicines Partnership Alzheimer’s Disease (AMP AD) program. The interactive, web-based Agora platform will include a list of potential Alzheimer’s disease drug targets nominated by the AMP AD teams, allowing researchers outside the consortium to get involved in target evaluation.
I hope you’ll take the time to stop and chat with NIA and NIH staff you see at the various presentations, poster sessions, and gatherings. It’s a great time to connect with colleagues, students, mentors, and everyone interested in Alzheimer’s research. See you in Chicago!