This month, the Alzheimer’s Association is celebrating a major milestone, announcing a $100 million investment into research initiatives in 2023. This unparalleled commitment stands as the largest single-year investment since the organization’s founding in 1980.
As part of this historic one-year investment, over $738,000 has been awarded within the Palmetto State this year. Newly funded research projects include:
- Investigations into how diabetes and obesity impact blood flow and changes in the brain (Medical University of South Carolina);
- The use of assistive technology in the workplace to support people who are living with Mild Cognitive Impairment or early stage dementia (Clemson University); and
- The potential of reprogramming key cells in the body as a treatment pathway for Alzheimer's disease (University of South Carolina).
Here in South Carolina, the Association has invested a total of $3.1 million in research projects since 1993, including $1.2 million in actively funded projects.
“We are proud to fund scientists here in the Palmetto State who are advancing innovative approaches to treating, diagnosing and preventing dementia. This critical research funding moves us closer to breakthroughs— and closer to a world without Alzheimer’s and all dementia,” said Cindy Alewine, President of the Alzheimer’s Association, South Carolina Chapter.
The Association’s global, cumulative impact on research now includes more than $360 million invested in over 1,000 active research projects in 53 countries, spanning six continents. In this year's historic funding cycle, the Alzheimer’s Association funded 271 scientific investigations from researchers at all career levels examining topics across the spectrum of dementia science.
In addition to research grant funding, the Association’s investment in research supports a wide range of global leadership initiatives:
Alzheimer’s is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States. It kills more Americans than diabetes, and more than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined. More than 6 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Association
2023 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures. By 2050, the number of people with Alzheimer's is projected to increase to nearly 13 million, barring the development of medical breakthroughs to prevent, slow or stop the disease.
In South Carolina, over 95,000 are living with Alzheimer’s disease. An estimated 216,000 South Carolinians are caring for a friend or family member with Alzheimer’s or other dementia.
Learn more about about this research fund milestone and our commitment to advancing science to drive treatments, diagnostics and prevention of Alzheimer's and dementia.
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.