Broadening the Reach of Alzheimer’s Research

Adam M. Brickman, PhD, a professor of neuropsychology at Columbia University and in the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease, uses advanced neuroimaging technology to study cognitive aging and the processes that can lead to Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. His research includes both clinical and community-based settings. “With this technology, we're starting to understand the types of biological changes that are happening in the brain as we age and how they can be modified by different health and social conditions,” explained Dr. Brickman.

He recently launched an initiative that brought the first portable MRI scanner to Agincourt, located in rural South Africa, to help scientists there identify the unique set of factors that shape cognitive decline in that environment. “In five years, I would love to see our efforts help establish an MRI research program in Agincourt that has even branched out to study other conditions. If successful, our efforts could also help pave the way for similar research programs in other under-resourced environments, including some rural parts of the United States,” said Dr. Brickman. [read more] [watch video]

Source: CUIMC Newsroom