Brown University & Hebrew SeniorLife Join Forces to Fight Brain Diseases, Get $53.4M Grant
Brown University and Hebrew SeniorLife (HSL) have joined forces to tackle brain-related diseases and injuries. The collaboration, backed by a $53.4 million federal grant, aims to enhance dementia care nationwide.
The Center for Long-Term Care Quality and Innovation at Brown's School of Public Health will oversee the project. The grant, part of the National Institute on Aging's (NIA) IMPACT Collaboratory, seeks to foster real-world clinical trials across the U.S. Louis Woolf, HSL's president and CEO, emphasized the need for increased research focus on Alzheimer's and dementia, likening it to that of cancer.
Currently, over 5 million Americans live with Alzheimer's or a related dementia, a number projected to double by 2050. The annual cost of dementia care in the U.S. already exceeds $226 billion. The NIA supports this collaborative effort to strengthen nationwide clinical studies and improve care for those affected.
The yearlong pilot projects will originate from healthcare professionals within affected systems, not just academic researchers. This approach ensures practical solutions that can be readily implemented. The grant, funded by the NIA, underscores the urgent need to address the growing epidemic of Alzheimer's and other dementias.
