- The University of Florida-led 1Florida Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center received a $22.3 million federal grant for five years to advance Alzheimer's diagnosis and treatment.
- The 1Florida ADRC collaborates with four universities and health systems to expand clinical trials access and improve dementia care across Florida.
- The 1Florida ADRC has contributed to over 410 scientific papers since 2015 and uses free-water imaging to detect early brain changes linked to Alzheimer’s risk.
A University of Florida-led research network has received a new $22.3 million, five-year federal grant to advance earlier diagnosis and more effective treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
According to a UF release sent on Wednesday, the National Institute on Aging renewed funding for the 1Florida Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, or 1Florida ADRC, which uses advanced techniques to evaluate people with and without memory disorders and other cognitive problems through research studies. The center is part of the nationwide network of Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centers.
“We’ve reached a transformative time in Alzheimer’s research, where not only are we advancing potential disease-modifying therapies, but very soon it may be possible for people to go to their primary care provider and get a blood test before they even have any symptoms,” said Dr. Glenn Smith, a professor in the UF College of Public Health and Health Professions’ Department of Clinical and Health Psychology and co-leader of the 1Florida ADRC, in the release.
“This new federal investment will enable us to continue our vital community-engaged research, which is a catalyst for state and national improvements in public health,” Smith said.
The consortium is a collaboration among UF, Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, the University of Miami, Florida Atlantic University and Florida International University. It also includes health systems and community partners working to expand access to clinical trials and improve dementia care throughout Florida.
More than 580,000 Florida residents, or 12.5%, are estimated to have Alzheimer’s disease, according to the latest figures from the Alzheimer’s Association. With population growth, that number is expected to double by 2050. The 1Florida ADRC also studies related forms of dementia, including Lewy body dementia.
Since its launch in 2015, the 1Florida ADRC has contributed to more than 410 scientific papers. Its research includes a method for detecting brain changes associated with Alzheimer’s risk before clinical symptoms appear. The method uses a type of magnetic resonance imaging known as “free-water” imaging to identify subtle abnormalities in brain microstructures.
That study was led by Dr. David Vaillancourt, chair of the UF College of Health and Human Performance’s Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology and principal investigator of the 1Florida ADRC’s biomarker and neuroimaging component.
The new federal funding will be combined with state resources, including the Ed and Ethel Moore Alzheimer’s Disease Research Program, to support additional research and clinical initiatives, said Dr. Melissa Armstrong, a professor in the UF College of Medicine’s Department of Neurology and principal investigator of the 1Florida ADRC’s clinical component, in the release.
The clinical component has followed more than 1,000 volunteer participants with and without memory disorders, as well as family members.
“The 1Florida ADRC is a statewide hub,” said Armstrong, a national leader in studying patient preferences, decision-making and caregiving needs for people with dementia. “We partner with many other research studies. Some researchers are drawing data from the 1Florida ADRC repository; some will use our data to answer a new research question. Sometimes they’re looking for eligible research participants.”
Twenty-four active studies rely on the 1Florida ADRC for data, specimens, expertise and participant referrals. The work supports research at UF’s McKnight Brain Institute and the Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases at UF Health.
The 1Florida ADRC also provides pilot grants to early-career investigators to help develop the next generation of scientists studying Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
“Thanks to the support and advocacy of the Florida Congressional delegation, the 1Florida ADRC will continue our unique capabilities in computing power and artificial intelligence, advanced neuroimaging, genomics, neuropsychology and neuropathology,” Smith said.