IU Alzheimer’s study awarded nearly US$50M to continue research

IU Alzheimer’s research will receive US$48.8M over the next five years by the National Institute of Health (NIH).

The second largest federally funded research programme at Indiana University School of Medicine will use the investments to fund the work of researchers as they seek to discover treatments for Alzheimer’s disease.

In 2016, a branch of NIH called The National Institute of Aging (NIA) established MODEL-AD – a consortium of experts at IU School of Medicine, Jackson Laboratory, the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Sage Bionetworks. 

MODEL-AD aims to generate and validate new animal models of late-onset Alzheimer’s disease as well as perform preclinical testing of potential therapeutics.

Bruce Lamb, executive director of Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, said: “Over the past several years, the Alzheimer’s disease research portfolio at IU School of Medicine has greatly expanded in scope, from understanding the basic disease mechanisms to moving novel therapeutics into patients and everything in between. 

“MODEL-AD is a critical piece of that puzzle as we continue to develop the next generation of animal models.”

Jay L. Hess, dean of IU School of Medicine, said: “MODEL-AD arose out of the Precision Health Initiative and is an example of what strong leadership and a sustained focus on a prioritised area can achieve.

“We set out to be a national resource in the battle against Alzheimer’s disease and under Dr. Lamb’s leadership we are delivering on that vision.”