New York, NY, April 20, 2021- The Alzheimer’s Association recently awarded two grants to researchers in New York City through its innovative Rapid Program in Dementia (RAPID) Funding Grant Program. The two awards were made possible through the generosity of New York philanthropists.
The RAPID program was created by the Alzheimer’s Association to provide grant funding to early-career researchers to ensure their projects could progress during the pandemic. The research community has faced numerous challenges over the last year, including closed labs, paused trials and reduced resources.
Daryl and Irwin Simon, who founded the Alzheimer’s Association Fork It Alzheimer’s benefit, wanted a portion of the event’s proceeds to go toward research. The inaugural Fork It Alzheimer’s welcomed 200 guests in Bridgehampton, NY in summer 2019 and raised more than $375,000.
Daryl Simon explains, “The RAPID program is making a difference for Alzheimer’s research at a time when everyone is impacted by the global pandemic. When we learned there were potential grantees here in New York, we knew we wanted to support them. Our event has evolved into the New York community coming together to support New York research.”
The two funded projects, both at Columbia University Medical Center, demonstrate the breadth of research happening in Alzheimer’s.
- Adriana Arcia, PhD, RN, an assistant professor of nursing, is building upon current assessment tools to make them more appropriate for Hispanic and Latino communities. Dr. Arcia’s goal is to develop an easy-to-use tool to help caregivers understand the stages of dementia and connect them to stage-specific resources.
- Syed Abid Hussaini, PhD, an assistant professor of neurobiology, is using machine learning to understand more about one of the first brain areas impacted by Alzheimer’s. Dr. Hussaini hopes his research will pave the way for early detection and treatment of the disease.
The Alzheimer’s Association is committed to advancing the work of the scientific community through direct funding and support of critical resources. Including the two grants funded through the generous contributions of the Simons, the Alzheimer’s Association has awarded 34 grants totaling over $1.6 million to date through the RAPID Funding Grant Program. You can learn more about the research the Alzheimer’s Association is funding in New York and around the globe on its
website.
Alzheimer's Association
The Alzheimer's Association leads the way to end Alzheimer's and all other dementia — by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer's and all other dementia.™ For more information, visit www.alz.org or call the 24/7 Helpline at 800.272.3900.