CURE ALZHEIMER'S FUND LAUNCHES BRAIN AGING CONSORTIUM TO DECODE HOW AGING SHAPES ALZHEIMER'S RISK

New initiative unites leading scientists to uncover biological mechanisms driving healthy and diseased brain aging

WELLESLEY, Mass., Feb. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Cure Alzheimer's Fund (CureAlz) today announced the establishment of the Brain Aging Consortium, bringing together six world-renowned Alzheimer's researchers and their teams to conduct collaborative research on how the biology of aging influences Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Aging is the single greatest risk factor for Alzheimer's, yet not everyone who ages experiences significant cognitive decline. Despite long-held beliefs that dementia is an inevitable part of aging, it isn't. The many examples of active, cognitively healthy people in their 80s, 90s and beyond offer hope that healthy brain aging can be available to all.

Brain aging is not black and white but instead is a spectrum. Most—but not all—people accumulate misfolded proteins in their brain as they age, including the plaques and tangles characteristic of Alzheimer's disease. However, some people are able to maintain cognitive function even in the presence of changes that for most people are associated with dementia. Studying people whose brains are resistant to accumulating misfolded proteins, and people whose brain and cognitive function are resilient in their presence, can teach us how to pursue healthier brain aging for everyone. The Cure Alzheimer's Fund Brain Aging Consortium will study the entire spectrum of cognitive aging to pinpoint opportunities to increase everyone's resilience and resistance to Alzheimer's disease.

"The launch of the Brain Aging Consortium represents a pivotal step in our mission to prevent Alzheimer's disease," said Meg Smith, CEO of Cure Alzheimer's Fund. "For too long, cognitive aging has been treated as an inevitable process rather than one we can understand and potentially shape. By bringing together brilliant scientists from across disciplines, we're building the foundation for a future where aging doesn't have to mean cognitive decline."

The consortium builds on nearly a decade of foundational research supported by CureAlz and brings together world leaders in Alzheimer's and brain aging research:

Dr. Randall J. Bateman, Chair of the Brain Aging Consortium, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, who pioneered the first highly accurate blood test for Alzheimer's and leads the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network (DIAN) prevention trials.

Dr. Andrew S. Yoo, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, who developed a method to reprogram skin cells directly into neurons that preserve markers of aging.

Dr. Miranda Orr, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, who uncovered a link between cellular senescence, a hallmark of aging, and tau pathology in AD. 

Dr. Henne Holstege, VIB-KU Leuven Center for Neuroscience, Belgium, who founded the 100-Plus Study of cognitively intact centenarians.

Dr. Li-Huei Tsai, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Broad Institute, who is a pioneer in epigenomics and immune mechanisms in Alzheimer's and aging.

Dr. Tony Wyss-Coray, Stanford University, whose research uncovered that blood-derived factors influence brain aging, including the landmark finding that young blood can rejuvenate aging mouse brains.

"Understanding brain aging is the key to understanding Alzheimer's," Smith added. "By decoding what keeps the brain healthy over time, we can move from treating symptoms to stopping the disease before it starts."

About Cure Alzheimer's Fund

Cure Alzheimer's Fund (CureAlz) is a nonprofit dedicated to funding the most promising research to prevent, slow or reverse Alzheimer's disease. Since its founding in 2004, CureAlz has provided $260 million to more than 300 of the world's leading researchers and has achieved a 100% perfect score and a Four-Star rating for 13 consecutive years from Charity Navigator. Our Board of Directors, Trustees and a core group of other donors direct their donations to our overhead expenses so that 100% of general donations go to our research program. For more information, visit CureAlz.org.

MEDIA CONTACT: Lisa Rand
[email protected], 781-943-3640

SOURCE Alzheimer's Disease Research Foundation