Belgian Foundation Stop Alzheimer Awards €5 Million to Advance Dementia Research

Stop Alzheimer, the Belgian foundation dedicated to Alzheimer’s research, has awarded a record €5 million to 23 research projects focused on fresh therapies, improved diagnostics and a deeper understanding of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. The funding will support investigations into the causes, prevention, and treatment of these debilitating conditions.

Record Funding for Cutting-Edge Research

The 23 projects were selected following a rigorous international evaluation process conducted by independent experts and Stop Alzheimer’s Scientific Advisory Board. The jury prioritized projects demonstrating high scientific quality and potential impact on patients and their families. “This record amount reflects a growing awareness in society of the enormous impact of Alzheimer’s,” stated Joost Martens, director of Stop Alzheimer. “Today, we are investing in ideas that could produce a difference tomorrow: from early detection to new treatments that can slow down or even stop the disease.”

Project Breakdown and Key Areas of Focus

The funding is distributed across two categories of researchers. Thirteen established researchers will each receive a grant of €300,000 over three years. Emanuela Pasciuto from the University of Antwerp was awarded an extra €50,000 as the winner of the Young Researcher Award. Ten young researchers will receive grants of €110,000 each for a two-year research period.

KU Leuven and VIB-KU Leuven at the Forefront of Dementia Research

A significant portion of the funded projects will be conducted at KU Leuven and VIB-KU Leuven, solidifying Leuven’s position as a leading international hub for dementia research. For example, Prof. Koen Van Laere of KU Leuven received €300,000 for a project utilizing ultra-high-resolution PET scans to visualize the earliest brain changes associated with Alzheimer’s disease Alzheimer’s Research Center KU Leuven (ARCK).

Recent Breakthroughs at KU Leuven

Researchers at the VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain and Disease Research recently announced a landmark discovery in Alzheimer’s disease Brussels Times. A laboratory led by Prof. Lucía Chávez Gutiérrez at VIB-KU Leuven has developed a model to predict the onset of Alzheimer’s disease by unraveling the genetic contributions to familial Alzheimer’s Disease development and revealing how specific mutations act as a clock to predict the disease age of onset VIB Press.

About Stop Alzheimer

Stop Alzheimer funds scientific research into the causes, prevention, and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia Stop Alzheimer.