Dr Keir Yong (Principal Research Fellow, Neurodegenerative Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology) has received the award for his project, “Visual System Vulnerability in Dementia: From Detection  to Determinants”:

Cortical visual (‘brainsight,’ not eyesight loss) is the earliest sign of dementia for people with posterior cortical atrophy, in whom vulnerability of the brain’s visual rather than memory system causes ‘visual-led Alzheimer’s disease’. This project will use a novel brainsight test and brain scans from 35,000 volunteers in a national aging study (UK Biobank) to improve detection of visual system vulnerability. Investigators will compare genetic risk factors associated with visual system vulnerability and visual-led Alzheimer’s disease to determine why Alzheimer’s disease may affect people in different ways.

Dr Yong’s co-Principal Investigators are Professor André Altmann (UCL Department of Medical Physical and Biomedical Engineering) and Professor David Cash (UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology)

Alzheimer’s Disease Research Standard Awards support highly innovative and promising projects from newly independent principal investigators.

More than 7 million Americans aged 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s disease, a progressive, terminal brain disorder that has no known cause or cure. Unless scientists can unlock the secrets of this disease, the number of cases is expected to triple by the year 2050.

“Alzheimer’s is a complex and devastating disease, and it demands an equally comprehensive approach. At BrightFocus, we are leaving no stone unturned—supporting innovative research from every angle to bring us closer to effective treatments and, one day, a cure,” said BrightFocus President and CEO Stacy Pagos Haller. “The cutting-edge ideas being explored by this year’s grant recipients represent an important step forward on that path.”

BrightFocus is currently funding 111 active Alzheimer’s research grants worldwide, an investment of more than $28 million in studies aimed at improving early detection and diagnosis, advancing treatment options, and uncovering the root causes of disease onset. These grants are highly competitive and awarded following a rigorous review process led by expert scientific advisory committees of leading researchers in the field.

BrightFocus Foundation is a premier private nonprofit funder of early-stage research around the world to discover cures for diseases of mind and sight. Through its programs Alzheimer’s Disease Research, Macular Degeneration Research, and National Glaucoma Research, the Foundation has awarded more than $310 million in innovative research grants. 

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