Bonn/Madison, March 10th, 2016. A delegation of about a dozen UW-Madison research scientists will travel to the nation where Alzheimer’s was first described and will share insights and information on the increasingly prevalent disease. Dr. Alois Alzheimer, a German physician, in 1915 identified the disease that now bears his name.
UW-Madison delegation heads to DZNE in Germany for Alzheimer's, Dementia Research
The Alzheimer’s specialists will meet in Bonn, Germany, with their counterparts from the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE). The two institutions signed a research-collaboration agreement in April 2015 to speed the pace of discovery in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s prevention, diagnosis and treatment. The collaboration provides a framework for joint efforts aimed at slowing the onset of these diseases.
The UW delegation is led by Rick Moss, Sanjay Asthana and Jane Mahoney of the UW School of Medicine and Public Health. Moss is senior associate dean for basic research, biotechnology and graduate studies; Asthana, a geriatrician, is associate director of the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute (WAI); and Mahoney was recently appointed director of the WAI.
The two-day workshop will bring together Wisconsin and German researchers in three focus areas: Cohort and longitudinal studies; imaging; and health-services and community-based research. The researchers will discuss a wide range of topics, from new approaches to MRI images of brain deterioration to the role of exercise in Alzheimer’s prevention, and explore potential joint project ideas.
“This is the second gathering of some of the world’s finest Alzheimer’s researchers in the last year, and we’re excited about pushing the boundaries of research on this devastating illness,” said Dr. Mahoney. “The field needs better understanding, better prevention, and better treatment. All of those will benefit from our work with our German counterparts.”
The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation and Gov. Scott Walker joined the delegation on the German trip during which the agreement was signed.
The DZNE’s Scientific Director and Chairman of the Executive Board Dr. Pierluigi Nicotera welcomes the guests from the UW-Madison. "The workshop fosters the developing collaboration between two leading international research organizations in the field of neurodegenerative disease. Intense discussions and concrete actions in this partnership will lead to more innovation, new concepts