Annual Ludwig Research Symposium
Most Recent 2025 Symposium:
GENETICS AND BIOLOGY OF RESILIENCE AND RESISTANCE TO ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
The 2nd Annual Carol and Gene Ludwig Center for Research on Neurodegeneration Symposium convened prominent scientists and researchers to explore the Genetics and Biology of Resilience and Resistance to Alzheimer’s Disease. The event was expertly moderated by Ludwig Scholars and collaborators, Dr. Clarissa Waites, Dr. Nuriel Tal, and Dr. Jennifer Manly.
The symposium featured Dr. David Bennett, a veteran in the field of prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s and neurodegenerative diseases. He gave a fantastic talk titled Deconstructing the Complexity of AD/ADRD: From Translational Epidemiology to Precision Medicine, Charting a path to precision medicine for brain diseases.
The Round table discussion was led by a diverse and well-represented group of clinicians and researchers: Dr. Przedborski, Dr. Sansing, Dr. Goldman, and Dr. Manly. The Round Table discussion theme was “Concepts in Neurodegeneration” and was proficiently moderated by Dr. Bradshaw. The Round Table topics broadly addressed multiple neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s, and the attendees were encouraged to step back and consider the bigger picture and pushed to think outside the box.
Attendees were engaged by a broad range of stimulating presentations, and the discussions ranged from molecular epidemiology, artificial intelligence-based approaches to understanding the complexities of the human genome. Additional sessions highlighted cognitive neuroscience, cell senescence and aging, Down syndrome research, and studies across complex human populations.
Overall, Dr. St George-Hyslop concluded in his remarks “There are likely few types of resilience pathways in neurons and glia, that will require broad applications not just for Alzheimer’s disease but for other Neurodegenerative diseases, obviating the need to target individual pathways;…it is a very rich research opportunity that will require a coalescence of people with multiple skills to pool the ideas how to address these complex and emerging issues. It is a challenge that the Carol and Gene Ludwig Center is interested in and should address. To jump-start working on the issues, the Carol and Gene Ludwig Center will be announcing a new round of research funding opportunity in February 2026, where everyone will be encouraged to apply.”
2024 Symposium Information:
CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR MECHANISMS UNDERLYING VASCULAR CONTRIBUTIONS TO ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
The inaugural Carol and Gene Ludwig Center for Research on Neurodegeneration Symposium convened prominent scientists and researchers to explore the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying vascular contributions to Alzheimer’s disease. The event was expertly moderated by our distinguished Ludwig Scholars, Dr. Vilas Menon, Dr. Wassim Elyaman, and Dr. Badri N. Varadarajan.
The symposium featured a stellar lineup of leading experts in the field, including Dr. Sally Temple, Dr. Caghan Kizil, Dr. Fanny Elahi, Dr. Richard Mayeux, Dr. Costantino Iadecola, Dr. Yang, Dr. Brickman, and Dr. Sproul, among others.
Attendees were engaged by a diverse array of stimulating presentations, covering topics such as the vascular contributions to dementia, modeling cerebrovascular changes and blood-brain barrier dysfunction in Alzheimer’s using human induced pluripotent stem cells, tracing proteomes across the blood-brain barrier, and the latest advances in neuroimaging and fluid biomarkers.
Overall, the symposium underscored the critical role of specific vascular and extracellular matrix components in Alzheimer’s disease and their significant contributions to dementia.