A new pilot grant has been awarded to a collaborative team of researchers with the aim of advancing research on Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) with a focus on addressing global health disparities.
The team is comprised of Iliana Kohler from the University of Pennsylvania's Population Aging Research Center (PARC), Corey McMillan from PARC and Penn's Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Nicholas Ashton from Banner Health, and the Arizona Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. The project is funded by the Research Centers Collaborative Network under the Seed Pilots for Aging Research Collaboration initiative.
The project will explore the validation of dried plasma spots (DPS) technology to measure p-tau217 and neurofilament light chain (NFL) biomarkers in Malawi. Leveraging the longstanding research infrastructure of the Malawi Longitudinal Study of Families and Health (MLSFH), this initiative seeks to fill critical gaps in biomarker data that have hindered effective dementia research in LMICs.
The collaboration is poised to significantly impact the understanding of ADRD in underrepresented populations, enhancing global efforts to reduce health disparities through innovative research methodologies.
Citation: "Penn and Arizona researchers awarded grant to advance ADRD research in Malawi" Penn Alzheimer's Disease Research Center Newsletter, 2024.