ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION AWARDS RESEARCH GRANT TO CASE WESTERN RESERVE SCIENTIST

The Alzheimer's Association has awarded Gary Landreth, Ph.D., Professor of Neurosciences at Case Western Reserve University a 2015 Research Grant Award.

Dr. Landreth has been awarded the $240,000 Investigator-Initiated Research Grant to fund his research in Roles of TREM2 in Alzheimer’s disease pathogenesis. The funds will be distributed over the next three years. Cleveland area researchers have received more than $11.4 million dollars since the inception of the grants program. Cleveland ranks fifth in funding behind New York, Boston, Chicago and St. Louis.

The Alzheimer’s Association is the largest nonprofit funder of Alzheimer’s research, having awarded more than $350 million to over 2,300 projects since 1982. Alzheimer's Association research grants are intended to advance the understanding of Alzheimer's disease, help identify new treatment strategies, provide information to improve care for people with dementia and further knowledge of brain health and disease prevention.

“The Alzheimer’s Association is pleased to make these research funds available to Dr. Landreth so that he can conduct innovative research in the Cleveland area. This work has the potential to uncover critical clues toward developing more effective treatment strategies for Alzheimer’s that could impact all who are affected by the disease, including individuals living with Alzheimer’s and those who care for them. We look forward to learning the results of this important research,” said Nancy Udelson, President and CEO, Cleveland Area Chapter.

The Landreth laboratory on the CWRU campus is focused on, investigating the actions of genes linked to Alzheimer’s disease and devising new therapeutic strategies for its prevention and treatment. 

“I’m honored to be awarded this important research grant from the Alzheimer's Association,” said Dr. Landreth. “Our work in the roles of TREM2 in pathogenesis will lead us to a better understanding of this complicated and devastating disease and eventually to better diagnosis and treatment.”

The Alzheimer's Association International Research Grants Program seeks to improve quality of life for everyone affected by Alzheimer's disease. This includes generating new insights about the basic biology of Alzheimer's and other dementias and using these findings to create innovative approaches to risk assessment, diagnosis, treatment and prevention, plus enhancements to care and support for those now living with the disease. 

• 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 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Association 2015 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report. There are 591,000 Alzheimer’s caregivers in Ohio providing 674 million hours of unpaid care valued at $369 million.

For more information, visit the Alzheimer’s Association at alz.org.