A new frontier in Alzheimer’s research is taking shape as scientists look beyond traditional risk factors to better understand what drives the disease.
At the center of this effort is Dr. Ryan S. Dhindsa, a pathologist and immunologist and principal investigator at the Duncan Neurological Research Institute, who has been awarded the American Brain Foundation’s Cure One, Cure Many Award in Neuroinflammation.
The award supports bold research with the potential to accelerate discoveries across neurological diseases, providing up to $2 million for projects that explore complex and emerging scientific questions. Dr. Dhindsa’s work will focus on whether viral infections and the body’s immune response may play a significant and underrecognized role in Alzheimer’s disease.
Collaborating with experts in genetics, computational biology and virology, Dr. Dhindsa and his team will analyze genetic and health data from more than one million people. The research will also include single-cell analysis of brain tissue and studies using human stem cell–derived brain models to better understand how infection may contribute to neurodegeneration.
“We are deeply honored to receive this support from the Cure One, Cure Many Award in Neuroinflammation,” Dr. Dhindsa said. “Viral infections are emerging as a major, underappreciated driver of Alzheimer’s disease. This award will allow our team to conduct the most comprehensive screen of viral exposures and host genetics in Alzheimer’s to date, spanning over a million individuals. Our goal is to identify which viruses matter most, why some people are more vulnerable than others and ultimately move the field closer to new therapeutic strategies for patients.”
By leveraging large-scale genomic data in new ways, the team aims to uncover connections that could open the door to innovative prevention strategies and treatments.
Join us in congratulating Dr. Dhindsa on this outstanding achievement!
