Kalin Konrad-Vicario, Ph.D., is committed to advancing the science around Alzheimer's and other dementia as a postdoctoral researcher at Columbia University. But long before she was in the lab, Kalin was the kid behind Kalin's Backyard Carnival, an annual fundraiser she held in support of her family's Walk to End Alzheimer's® team. The family joined Walk in honor of her grandmother, Barbara Bishop, who lived with early-onset Alzheimer's disease.

Described as the "sweetest, kindest woman," Barbara was a retired nurse who took care of everyone in the family. Kalin — a native of Upper Moreland, Pennsylvania — didn't have the chance to get to know her grandmother due to the progression of the disease, but she feels a deep connection to the family matriarch. Family members often tell stories about Barbara and comment on the similarities between them.

"Anytime I've gone to a family reunion, they tell me that I remind them of Barbara. Everyone loved her baking, and I'm an avid baker. She has several roll recipes that I make all the time," says Kalin. "I feel like some part of her is within me, even though I was never able to fully communicate with her. It's comforting to know that I somehow remind people of her."

Walking for a Better Future

Kalin was 7 years old when her grandmother passed away from complications related to Alzheimer's, an experience that left a lasting impact. "My friends were able to see and communicate with their grandparents, so I knew it wasn't normal," she says. "When she first passed away, I was very torn and upset. Over the years I realized she's with me, so I think that's what's most important."
In 2005, Kalin's mom, Diane, registered their family for the Greater Pennsylvania Chapter's Walk to End Alzheimer's to honor Barbara, but also to connect her daughter with other children impacted by the disease. Walk to End Alzheimer's became an important tradition for the Konrad family.

"I like the sense of community at Walk to End Alzheimer's. You feel a sense of hope when you go to these events," says Kalin. "The Association is fantastic and everyone is just so warm and welcoming."

Engaging Kids in the Cause

The following year, Kalin expanded her fundraising for Walk to End Alzheimer's with Kalin's Backyard Carnival. The annual community event was held every August at her family's home, featuring games, raffle baskets, refreshments and activities for kids. "I was hoping to talk to kids about what they went through, and that's why I started volunteering and raising money for the Association," she says, "This carnival provided an environment for children to come and have fun, while also raising funds and awareness for the Alzheimer's Association."

Kalin's Backyard Carnival was a family effort. Kalin and Diane wrote letters to the Philadelphia Phillies, Coca-Cola and local businesses requesting donations for raffle baskets, food and entertainment. Her dad, Bartholomew, built carnival games that participants could purchase tickets to play.

"We didn't have money growing up. But my mom allowed me to do this with the resources we had, and expenses were offset by donations," she says. "My dad is a construction worker, so he's very good with his hands. He made the games, like a tic-tac-toe game where you would throw a ball and it had to make a line."

Over the span of seven years, Kalin's Backyard Carnival raised nearly $20,000 for Alzheimer's care, support and research. She also raised critical awareness of the disease by connecting other kids and community members to the cause. During Kalin's senior year of high school, she was able to reach even more people by bringing the carnival to Walk to End Alzheimer's in Philadelphia.

"I noticed how many more kids there were at Walk to End Alzheimer's, and the chapter allowed me to bring my carnival games for a kids corner so the children could play the games and have fun," says Kalin.

Charting a Career in Science

In 2013, Kalin became the first person in her family to attend college. She was a biology major at West Chester University, but she felt uncertain about her career prospects until she had an "ah-a" moment during her junior year.

"I didn't think a normal person like me could be a scientist," says Kalin. "But I have a vivid memory of sitting in the library reading an article about scientists who were studying Alzheimer's disease. I looked them up and I thought, ‘Oh, I could do this as a job!'"

While that realization set the trajectory for Kalin's career, Barbara was the driving force behind her decision to specialize in Alzheimer's research. "My grandmother had early-onset Alzheimer's, and that really made me curious. Why did she develop the disease? In a biological way, why did that happen?" she says.

Kalin set out to explore these questions as she completed her doctoral program at the University of Delaware, and now as a postdoctoral researcher at Columbia University's Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain.

Accelerating Alzheimer's Research

Soon after joining the Taub Institute in 2023, Kalin heard about the Alzheimer's Association Research Fellowship to Promote Diversity (AARF-D), a grant that supports exceptional postgraduate researchers from diverse backgrounds. Initially hesitant to apply, she submitted an application with encouragement from her lab's principal investigator. Later that year, following a competitive peer review process, she was named an AARF-D recipient.

"The grant promotes diversity, and I came from a socioeconomic disadvantage throughout my life. I was very surprised that I got the fellowship on my first try, I was not expecting to receive it so early in my new lab," says Kalin. "I am very grateful for the fellowship and that I get to be part of the Alzheimer's Association as a researcher."

The AARF-D grant will help advance Kalin's research around proteins known to cause Alzheimer's, such a beta-amyloid and tau, to inform prevention strategies for the disease.

"We study the biology of Alzheimer's before it becomes a disease. A lot of research looks at the disease model and asks, ‘How do we get rid of this?' But our research asks, ‘How would this even progress into the disease state?'" she says. "We're really looking at the basic biology and molecular mechanisms of these proteins so we can predict how it might become progressive. I think preventive medicine is going to be one of the biggest factors for a world without Alzheimer's."

Kalin feels there's a lot of potential for breakthroughs in Alzheimer's and dementia research, and she sees the Association as a leader in attracting and retaining young researchers like her in the field.

"There's a lot of support from the Association to help scientists be successful in Alzheimer's research," she says. "It's really nice to have Alzheimer's focused grants from the Association to instill confidence in young researchers. It's very exciting to be at the forefront of some of these early scientific discoveries."

From her early days as a Walk to End Alzheimer's participant to an Alzheimer's researcher, the Association has been with Kalin every step of the way. She encourages other aspiring researchers to pursue their dreams with passion and perseverance.

"It doesn't matter where you come from — if you want to do research, you can get there. It might just take some time or a different way."