ADRC News

Amy Kind, MD, PhD, an international leader in health disparities research and leader of the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center’s (ADRC) Care Research Core, is directing The Neighborhoods Study, which has received a $30.9 million award, making it UW–Madison's third-largest active National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant.

Sterling Johnson, PhD, spoke with The New York Times about new blood biomarker tests used to predict a person’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. The tests measure p-tau217, a blood-based biomarker that can detect Alzheimer's disease-related brain changes often years before symptoms appear. He emphasized that healthy lifestyle habits may help protect the brain against the potentially harmful effects of the buildup of Alzheimer's-related proteins.

Nathaniel Chin, MD, and Sterling Johnson, PhD, joined the GeriPal podcast to discuss why dementia in older adults is often more complex than once thought. They explain how newer tests can help identify these different causes of cognitive decline and how this information may influence diagnosis, treatment decisions and the use of emerging Alzheimer’s therapies.

Research by Lindsay Clark, PhD, suggests that simple at-home memory checks conducted on a smartphone or tablet may detect subtle memory loss better than traditional in-clinic assessments. The study included volunteer participants from the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC) and the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention (WRAP).

The Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC) is excited to share that Rachael Wilson, PhD, has been selected as its newest Developmental Project awardee for her project, “Development of a multiplex immunoassay panel for the detection of Alzheimer's disease and common co-pathologies.”

A new book by Nathaniel Chin, MD, "When Memory Fades: What to Expect at Every Stage, from Early Signs to Full Support for Alzheimer’s and Dementia," offers a clear and compassionate guide for people navigating Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

Sterling Johnson, PhD, has been named to Clarivate’s Highly Cited Researchers 2025 list. This honor recognizes researchers whose work has significant and far-reaching influence. Highly Cited Researchers represent just 1 in 1,000 scientists and social scientists worldwide.

Nearly three hundred people attended the 2026 Alzheimer’s Disease & Related Dementias Research Day on April 15 in person and online. Research Day was started in 2014 to encourage collaboration and promote scientific thought among faculty, students and researchers from a wide range of disciplines across the UW–Madison campus.

Nathaniel Chin, MD, will present a keynote talk, and several experts from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health will lead workshops at this year's Alzheimer’s Association Wisconsin State Conference.

Sterling Johnson, PhD, is co-author of a Policy View in the March issue of The Lancet Neurology. The paper offers recommendations in Alzheimer’s disease treatment and prevention, with important considerations for treatments in people who are cognitively unimpaired but at risk of future symptoms.