News
Duke-UNC ADRC News Update – October 23
The BMBH Conference Series aims to address brain health disparities among Black men, focusing on cognitive aging, Alzheimer’s disease, and sociocultural impacts, by convening experts, practitioners, and community members.
In the News
PREPARE: Pioneering Research for Early Prediction of Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias EUREKA Challenge
Help the NIH discover novel approaches for the early prediction of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias Develop an algorithm that predicts AD-related outcomes using one of two open datasets!
Kudos!
2024 Walk to End Alzheimer’s
Thank you to everyone who walked or supported the Duke UNC ADRC Blue Walkers with encouragement and donations. And while raising awareness was the #1 goal, this group should be proud that they raised $4,780 for the Alzheimer’s Association. Well done!
Funding Opportunities
Alzheimer Diagnosis in Older Adults with Chronic Conditions
ADACC 2025 RFA for Pilot Projects
The Alzheimer Diagnosis in older Adults with Chronic Conditions (ADACC) Network is soliciting proposals for pilot projects focused on blood-based biomarker testing for Alzheimer’s disease for older adults with multiple chronic conditions. The goal of this new pilot grant award is to develop novel discoveries and approaches in our understanding, use, and implementation of blood-based biomarker testing for Alzheimer’s disease diagnoses in real world and diverse populations who also have multiple chronic conditions.
This pilot award is open to all levels of faculty and junior faculty at the Assistant Professor level are especially encouraged to apply. Awardees will be granted up to $158,000 total costs to be administered over the course of a 12-month project.
Application deadline: January 6, 2025
2024 Alzheimer’s Clinical Trial Consortium
2024 Alzheimer’s Clinical Trials Consortium (ACTC) Request for Proposals – Trial Interventions Including Nonpharmacological Approaches
An important objective of the National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA) is to support rigorous trials testing the efficacy of non-pharmacological interventions for the treatment and prevention of AD/ADRD, which include interventions that combine pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches. ACTC is seeking proposals for clinical trials evaluating novel approaches involving nonpharmacological interventions to prevent, delay or treat Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. ACTC will provide mentorship and offer formal training in AD clinical trial methodology through the IMPACT-AD course.
The ACTC application is brief and includes a protocol synopsis and brief form. All proposals are reviewed for feasibility and scientific merit and rigor and receive comprehensive feedback. Only proposals approved by the ACTC Steering Committee will be developed into collaborative grant applications for NIA funding. Applicants are invited to reach out for guidance before applying.
Upcoming Submission Deadlines: December 2, 2024 | March 4, 2025 | August 4, 2025
Questions? Reach out to Sarah Walter, MSc, ACTC Program Administrator (waltersa@usc.edu)
National Alzheimer’s Coordination Center
Alzheimer’s Association and NACC New Investigator Award Program (NIAP) RFA 2025-26 Funding Cycle
Up to 10 NIAP awards will be granted in the spring of 2025 based on the scientific merit of submitted applications. Eligible candidates include new and early-career investigators from across the ADRCs programs. These awards aim to support career development and advance scientific research on AD/ADRD. Funding early career investigators remains a core tenet of the missions of the Alzheimer’s Association, NACC, and the ADRCs. This ongoing partnership between NACC and the Alzheimer’s Association reinforces their shared commitment to supporting and advancing the careers of the next generation of AD/ADRD researchers.
Key Dates: The Request for a REC Mentor, Letter of Intent, and Application must be received by 5pm EST on their respective deadlines Nov. 8th is the first deadline!
Faculty/Staff Spotlight
Bethany Hsai, PhD
Research Program Leader
Anesthesiology-Neuro Division
Bethany received her BS in Biology from William and Mary, and her PhD in Cell Biology from Duke. She also completed a postdoctoral fellowship at NIEHS. Her PhD and postdoctoral fellowship both focused on mouse models of lung injury and disease and the innate and adaptive immune responses. Bethany joined the anesthesia CRU to work with the Peri-Operative Neurocognitive Research Team (PORT) Lab in November 2022.
Bethany joined the Duke/UNC ADRC in Nov 2022 as part of the Biomarker Core and we are lucky to have her!