AAIC^® 2019 Highlights New Research Showing Healthy Lifestyle May Offset Environmental and Genetic Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease

LOS ANGELES, JULY 14, 2019 — The Alzheimer’s Association presented the AAIC Lifetime Achievement Awards to honor three individuals who have made a lasting impact on the field through their research, leadership and/or mentorship and who have demonstrated lifelong commitments to Alzheimer’s and dementia research. The awards were presented during the plenary session on Sunday, July 14 at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) 2019 in Los Angeles.

This year’s honorees are Marilyn S. Albert, Ph.D., from Johns Hopkins Hospital; Mony J. de Leon, Ed.D., from NYU School of Medicine; and Lars Lannfelt, M.D., Ph.D., from Uppsala University.

Dr. Albert is the recipient of the Henry Wisniewski Lifetime Achievement Award in Alzheimer’s Disease Research. She is the Director of the Division of Cognitive Neuroscience in the Department of Neurology at Johns Hopkins Hospital and the Director of the Johns Hopkins Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. Dr. Albert’s work has identified cognitive changes that occur with aging and early Alzheimer’s, as well as lifestyle factors that may preserve cognitive abilities during aging. Her research currently focuses on early identification of Alzheimer’s and potential methods to monitor disease progression for early intervention.

Dr. de Leon is the recipient of the Bengt Winblad Lifetime Achievement Award in Alzheimer’s Disease Research. He is the founder and director of the Center for Brain Health in NYU Langone’s Department of Psychiatry. Dr. de Leon published some of the first studies showing early hippocampal atrophy and glucose metabolism alterations in Alzheimer’s disease, as well as the first longitudinal imaging reports to predict the transition from normal aging to Alzheimer’s. His work specializes in identifying biological markers for detecting Alzheimer’s.

Dr. Lannfelt is the recipient of the Khalid Iqbal Lifetime Achievement Award in Alzheimer’s Disease Research. He is a Senior Professor of Geriatrics in the Department of Public Health and Caring Services at Uppsala University where his research focuses on the pathological changes that occur in the brain with Alzheimer’s. Dr. Lannfelt led development of the Alzheimer’s drug candidate BAN2401, a monoclonal antibody that selectively binds to and neutralizes amyloid beta aggregates thought to contribute to Alzheimer’s neurodegeneration and which is currently being evaluated in a global Phase 3 study. For this work, he received the 2019 Swedish Alzheimer’s Foundation Grand Research Prize.

“Each of the researchers awarded today has made fundamental contributions to the field, bringing us closer to a better understanding of Alzheimer’s and related dementias,” said Maria C. Carrillo, Ph.D., chief science officer, Alzheimer’s Association.

The AAIC Lifetime Achievement Awards are named in honor of Henry Wisniewski, M.D., Ph.D., Khalid Iqbal, Ph.D., and Bengt Winblad, M.D., Ph.D., the co-founders of the International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease, now known as the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference. These awards honor significant fundamental contributions to Alzheimer’s research, either through a single scientific discovery or a body of work.

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