The center’s vision: develop cures for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. 

To realize this future, researchers are:

• Working across scientific disciplines, and between the fields of biology and medicine, to see old problems in new ways
• Developing a multifaceted understanding of Alzheimer’s disease, embracing its complexity in symptoms, diagnostics, and treatments
• Broadening the scope of research to include various environmental and genetic factors contributing to dementia
• Deploying the latest equipment and tools to speed discovery and quickly move new treatments into clinical trials

The last decade has delivered significant advances in diagnostics, treatments, and prevention strategies in Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, with breakthroughs such as improved imaging technologies, new blood tests for diagnosis, and FDA-approved drugs. With an international reputation for excellence in brain science and strong clinical partnerships through The Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University is uniquely positioned to contribute to this transformative era with fresh ideas, disruptive discoveries, and practice-changing clinical studies.

• Leadership and Expertise

  • A unique duo directs the center: Bess Frost, a scientist who also conducts clinical trials, and Edward “Ted” Huey, a physician who also conducts research. They’ve built the center to quickly translate science discoveries into medical treatments.
  • Center leaders know, from experience, that Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia are complex. These diseases have diverse symptoms and potential therapeutic targets beyond the traditional focus areas of brain plaques and tangles.

• Investment in Infrastructure

  • The Fluid Biomarkers Laboratory is an engine for progress. The tools and expertise available at the facility are capable of detecting early evidence of Alzheimer’s through blood and other samples and can measure a patient's response to new therapies. Brown is the only place in Rhode Island, and one of just a few sites in New England, with this equipment and expertise and shares it with clinical and industry partners.
  • Construction is underway on the state-of-the-art Danoff Laboratories in Providence’s Jewelry District, which will house the Center for Alzheimer’s Disease next to researchers who study aging, translational neuroscience, biomedical engineering, and more. The ground floor will include a clinic for patients enrolled in dementia studies — a distinctive element that reflects Brown’s focus on people-focused science and medical care.
  • The Brown Innovation and Research Collaborative for Health (BIRCH) brings together the research arms of the Division of Biology and Medicine, Brown University Health, and the Care New England health system to streamline processes, promote collaboration and speed progress toward testing new treatments.
  • The center has received significant support from federal funders, foundations and philanthropists. This fuels discovery-based science and high-risk, high-reward projects, as well as an ambitious faculty hiring plan. 

• Culture of Collaboration and Invention

  • Bench to bedside is built into center operations, with every faculty hire paired with a practicing physician and special funding set aside for lab and clinic collaborations.
  • Brown’s creative, curious and collegial community results in powerful research collaborations. Rhode Island’s close-knit system of hospitals and clinicians provides a fertile testing ground for treatments. 
  • Brown runs on a spirit of invention, and the Brown Technology Innovations team stands ready to help researchers navigate the licensing and commercialization of their discoveries. 

• Focus on Clinical Trials

  • Brown is one of the nation’s largest academic centers for the development and testing of treatments for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. 
  • Brown participates in national and international clinical trials, and launches its own trials based on discoveries made at the university.
  • Brown for years has built trusted relationships with patients and caregivers from around New England who are interested in helping advance cures.