Indiana University and Washington University Researchers Awarded Prizes in Neuroimaging at Alzheimer's Association International Conference

LOS ANGELES, JULY 13, 2019 — The Alzheimer’s Association presented its de Leon Prizes in Neuroimaging to Liana G. Apostolova, MD, and Brian A. Gordon, Ph.D. The Awards were presented on Saturday, July 13 at the Alzheimer's Imaging Consortium (AIC), a preconference meeting to the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) 2019 in Los Angeles.

The de Leon Prizes in Neuroimaging recognize a senior scientist and a new investigator who are judged to have each published the best paper in any peer-reviewed journal related to the topic of in-vivo neuroimaging of a neurodegenerative process. The awards are named after Mony J.de Leon, Ed.D., professor of psychiatry and director, Center for Brain Health at NYU Langone Health, and one of the founders of the Alzheimer’s Imaging Consortium and the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Awards.

Members of the Neuroimaging Professional Interest Area of the Alzheimer's Association International Society to Advance Alzheimer's Research and Treatment (ISTAART) are the nominating body for the awards.

In the Senior Scientist Category, Liana G. Apostolova, MD, Barbara and Peer Baekgaard Professor of Alzheimer’s Disease Research at Indiana University School of Medicine, will receive $5,000 for her paper titled “Associations of the Top 20 Alzheimer Disease Risk Variants with Brain Amyloidosis.” Apostolova’s study provides a large, comprehensive look at how different Alzheimer’s risk genes affect amyloid deposition in the brain.

In the New Investigator Category, Brian A. Gordon, Ph.D., Instructor in the Department of Radiology at Washington University School of Medicine, will receive $1,000 for his paper titled “Spatial patterns of neuroimaging biomarker change in individuals from families with autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease: a longitudinal study.” Gordon’s study presents some of the most reliable evidence to date for biological markers of Alzheimer’s disease more than 20 years before dementia onset.

The Alzheimer’s Association is committed to accelerating the global effort to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease and to recognizing the efforts of researchers who further our understanding about this devastating disease. As the worldwide nonprofit leader in funding Alzheimer’s research, we continue to directly fund cutting-edge research with approximately $165 million accelerating advances in more than 450 best-of-field active projects in 25 countries around the world.

About the Alzheimer's Association International Conference^® (AAIC^®)
The Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) is the world’s largest gathering of researchers from around the world focused on Alzheimer’s and other dementias. As a part of the Alzheimer’s Association’s research program, AAIC serves as a catalyst for generating new knowledge about dementia and fostering a vital, collegial research community.
AAIC 2019 home page: aaic.alz.org
AAIC 2019 newsroom: aaic.alz.org/pressroom.asp

About the Alzheimer's Association^®
The Alzheimer’s Association is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer's care, support and research. Our mission is to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research, to provide and enhance care and support for all affected, and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer’s. Visit alz.org or call +1 800.272.3900.

Media Contacts: 
Alzheimer’s Association Media Line, +1 312.335.4078, media@alz.org
AAIC 2019 Press Office, aaicmedia@alz.org