accelerate discovery

Alzheimer's Disease

IU School of Medicine is committed to finding a cure for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.

experts in Alzheimer's research

A national resource for Alzheimer's disease research

Indiana University School of Medicine leads a comprehensive program in Alzheimer's disease research spanning basic, translational and clinical research, focused on optimizing clinical care for patients with Alzheimer's disease. The school, ranked No. 6 in the nation for National Institute of Aging research, received $87 million in National Institutes of Health grants to fund Alzheimer's disease research. From developing the next generation of animal models and testing potential therapeutics to working alongside clinical research participants and patients in the state's largest health system, IU School of Medicine has a rich research program and expertise widely recognized around the world.

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Basic and Preclinical Science

Basic scientists research the neurobiology and molecular genetics of Alzheimer’s disease to define disease mechanisms using animal models, identify therapeutic targets, rigorously test drugs and create molecules for potential drugs.

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Clinical and Translational Science

Researchers in clinical and translational science test new methods to diagnose, treat and prevent Alzheimer’s disease, and advancing this research into improved diagnosis and care for patients living with the disease.

a patient receives an infusion of medication

Clinical Innovation

Researchers in clinical and translational science test new methods to diagnose, treat and prevent Alzheimer’s disease, and advancing this research into improved diagnosis and care for patients living with the disease.

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Next generation of laboratory models

The Model Organism Development and Evaluation for Late-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease (MODEL-AD) consortium is developing the next generation of laboratory models used by scientists throughout the United States to study genetic contributors to Alzheimer’s disease and test potential treatments. MODEL-AD animal models represent human Alzheimer’s disease more closely than existing mouse models and accelerate the development of effective therapies for the disease.

Learn more about MODEL-AD
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Pipeline to accelerate drug discovery

IU School of Medicine is one of only two institutions selected by the National Institute on Aging to improve, diversify and reinvigorate the Alzheimer’s disease drug development pipeline. The Target Enablement to Accelerate Therapy Development for Alzheimer's Disease (TREAT-AD) works to identify the best drug targets, discover and optimize new molecules for these targets, and conduct early testing to determine if the molecules have potential to be further developed and evaluated in patients.

Learn more about TREAT-AD
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National biobank for Alzheimer’s disease samples

The federal government has designated IU School of Medicine as the national site to collect blood, DNA, tissue, spinal fluid and other samples from tens of thousands of people with Alzheimer’s disease across the country. The National Centralized Repository for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (NCRAD) is a central biobank in the United States that enables scientists from around the world to access critically important biological samples for new and ongoing research.

Learn more about NCRAD
Liana Apostolova

Understanding early-onset Alzheimer’s disease

IU School of Medicine is leading a nationwide study of a rare and particularly devastating early-onset form of Alzheimer’s that afflicts patients younger than 65 years of age. The Longitudinal Early-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease Study (LEADS) seeks to understand why some people develop Alzheimer’s disease so early, look for genetic determinants of the disease and track the disease’s progression.

Learn more about LEADS
a clinician meets with a clinical trial participant

Clinical research and patient support

At the forefront of Alzheimer’s disease research for more than 30 years, the Indiana Alzheimer's Disease Research Center is one of only 33 centers in the United States solely committed to Alzheimer’s research. This multidisciplinary program works to translate research advances into improved diagnosis and care for people with Alzheimer’s disease. The center offers resources and information for patients, caregivers and the broader community.

Learn more about the IADRC

Featured News

Selena Wang presents her poster at the 2025 Spring ADRC meeting in San Francisco

IU researcher seeks to solve “black box” nature of AI, presents groundbreaking research at Spring ADRC

2025 REC Scholar Selena Wang, PhD, is trying find the answer to many complexities of the brain and Alzheimer’s disease using Artificial Intelligence. Advancements in Artificial Intelligence are providing new promise to the biomedical research community, and yet the often “black box” nature of modern-day AI tools leads to trust issues.

May 06, 2025

a physician shows a folder with documents to a patient

Brain health program fuels clinical and research advancements of new Alzheimer’s disease treatments in Indiana

Indiana patients are among the first people in the country to receive new disease-modifying drugs for Alzheimer's disease, contributing to the work of IU School of Medicine researchers actively studying the long-term effects of the treatments.

April 24, 2025

Taeho Jo in his lab

Can AI Revolutionize Alzheimer's Care? IU Researcher, REC Scholar Award Winner Aims for Earlier Detection and Effective Treatments

Dr. Taeho Jo, a recent Research Education Component Core Scholar from the Indiana Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, is working to find out how AI can better help us find care for those with Alzheimer's Disease.

April 18, 2025

Audience member listen intently from seats behind long tables in an auditorium

Symposium invites community, scientific leaders to better understand brain health, neurodegeneration

The IU School of Medicine will highlight its robust neuroscience research program April 13 and 14 at the inaugural Center for Neurodegenerative Disorders Symposium.

March 26, 2025

Three researchers in white coats work in a laboratory.

Researchers identify potential link between retinal changes, Alzheimer’s disease

A team of scientists at the Indiana University School of Medicine has identified that an eye condition affecting the retina, the light-sensing tissue in the back of the eye, may serve as an early indicator for Alzheimer's disease.

February 26, 2025

Nicole Fowler, PhD, MHSA

Fowler named Vice Chair for Research

Nicole Fowler, PhD, MHSA, is the Department of Medicine’s new Vice Chair for Research. She stepped into the role on Jan. 1, 2025, replacing Kara Wools-Kaloustian, MD, who has taken on the post of Executive Site Director for AMPATH Kenya.

January 15, 2025

Andrew J. Saykin and Kwangsik Nho, PhD in South Korea

NIH-funded collaboration between IU and Seoul National University highlights importance of ethnic diversity in Alzheimer's research

Indiana University in collaboration with Seoul National University sheds light on the importance of ethnic diversity in Alzheimer's disease (AD) research with three recent publications using data in a Korean population from the Korean Brain Aging Study for the Early Diagnosis and Prediction of Alzheimer's Disease (KBASE) study.

January 06, 2025

a portrait of maul tansey

Neuroimmunology and neurodegeneration researcher joins growing team of Alzheimer’s disease researchers at the IU School of Medicine

Malú Tansey, PhD and her team of researchers like to think “outside the brain.” Her lab investigates the role of inflammation and immune system responses on brain health and the development of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and frontal temporal dementia, with a specific focus on the gut-brain connection.

October 21, 2024

Image of a brain slice illuminated in rainbow colors

Newly discovered genetic marker could pave the way for future Alzheimer's disease therapeutics

Researchers have identified a new genetic marker that could play a role in the development of Alzheimer's disease and pave the way for novel therapeutic targets and diagnostic tools for the disease.

October 08, 2024