NYU Langone’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center facilitates the work of clinicians and researchers dedicated to identifying the early signs of Alzheimer’s disease and developing therapies to slow or prevent disease progression. We are passionate, innovative, and determined to change the future of Alzheimer’s disease, which affects 6 million Americans today. That number is projected to reach 14 million by 2060, with staggering financial and emotional consequences for patients, families, and society.

We envision a future where Alzheimer’s disease is detectable in the earliest stages, and where new treatments can preserve brain function and improve quality of life. In addition to supporting research, the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center is fostering a new generation of researchers and clinicians in the areas of brain aging and Alzheimer’s disease, ensuring a future not only of innovation, but of compassionate care.

As part of NYU Langone’s Center for Cognitive Neurology, we provide a unique, comprehensive suite of patient services, including outstanding clinical care, opportunities to participate in research studies and clinical trials, community education, and support for people with Alzheimer’s disease and their families. We are home to one of the largest, longest-running longitudinal studies of brain aging and Alzheimer’s disease in the country, a feat made possible by thousands of study volunteers who are the heart and soul of our work. The gift of their time and dedication has enabled us to make breakthrough discoveries, devise cognitive assessments that are routinely used around the world, and improve patient and family care.

Since 1990, we have been among the 37 Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centers funded by the National Institute on Aging at the National Institutes of Health. As part of that collaboration, we actively contribute data and biospecimens to national Alzheimer’s disease research databases, as well as provide study data, samples, and other resources to investigators around the country.

We are at the forefront of some of the most exciting research in the field. We are testing cutting-edge therapeutics and developing diagnostic tools that stand to transform our approach to Alzheimer’s disease. Early detection is the primary research priority of the center, as early intervention offers the greatest hope for slowing, or someday even preventing, disease progression.

We have pioneered the identification and analysis of novel biomarkers associated with brain aging, and with the transitions between normal aging and the progressive stages of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Thanks to innovative neuroimaging techniques, we can recognize ever-earlier signals of Alzheimer’s disease, including some that appear long before symptoms manifest. We are exploring the potential for harnessing the immune system to inhibit the processes that lead to Alzheimer’s disease, ushering in a new era of potential treatment options.

Our work is built on a foundation of field-changing research that stretches back nearly five decades and includes many historic “firsts.” In the early 1970s, the first clinical trial for an Alzheimer’s disease drug was conducted at NYU Langone. Shortly thereafter, in partnership with colleagues in NYU Grossman School of Medicine’s Department of Radiology, our researchers were the first to observe shrinkage of the brain in patients with Alzheimer’s disease, and the first to use PET to document reduced brain metabolism—a hallmark of the disease.

Our researchers also provided the first descriptions of biomarkers of preclinical Alzheimer’s disease and established the first internationally recognized Alzheimer’s disease staging system. We are pioneers in the discovery of the profound impact of psychosocial support on patients with Alzheimer’s disease and caregivers, and these findings continue to influence our approach to enhancing quality of life and optimizing care.