The University of Wisconsin (UW) Initiative to End Alzheimer's (Updated 3/20/2026)

For many years, I’ve been listening to The Dementia Matters podcast by Dr. Nathaniel Chin. What strikes me most is not only his dedication to advancing dementia care and research but also his genuine compassion, clarity, and commitment to empowering patients, families, and caregivers through education and understanding.

The podcast ultimately led me to the University of Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, where I have learned so much about their ongoing developments, accomplishments, and the promising progress being made—both in the near and distant future—toward finding a cure for this devastating disease.

It has long been my commitment to support and donate to research institutions like this until a cure for Alzheimer’s is found. We are racing against time, and I remain hopeful that in the coming years we will be able to pinpoint the root cause and achieve a true cure for this disease.

The following is a briefing for Dr. Chin and UW-ADRC.

Dr. Nathaniel Chin was primarily inspired to create the Dementia Matters podcast by his father's diagnosis with early-onset Alzheimer's disease. 

Witnessing his father’s journey and the many questions his own family faced after the diagnosis motivated him to provide a reliable resource for others. His inspiration stems from two main goals: 

• Personal Legacy: Dr. Chin views the podcast as a way to honor his father, who was also a physician, and to help other families navigate the same challenges.
• Bridging the Information Gap: As a geriatrician at the Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Dr. Chin realized that complex scientific research often fails to reach the general public in an understandable way. He designed the podcast to translate scientific findings into practical advice for caregivers and patients. 

His unique dual perspective as both a medical professional and a former family caregiver allows him to approach interviews with deeper empathy and insight. 

The University of Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC) has established itself as a global leader in biomarker development and preclinical diagnosis. As of late 2025, its major accomplishments include:

• Pioneering FDA-Cleared Diagnostics: In May 2025, UW–Madison research was instrumental in the FDA clearance of the first blood test for Alzheimer's. The center's long-term studies provided 40% of the clinical data used to validate the test's accuracy in detecting amyloid pathology.
• Leading National Multi-Site Research: The center was awarded a $150 million NIH grant (the largest in UW–Madison history) to lead CLARiTI, a nationwide study uniting 37 research centers. This initiative standardizes imaging and biomarker data across 2,000 diverse participants to understand "mixed dementia," where multiple brain pathologies coexist.
• Breakthroughs in Early Detection: UW researchers have identified biomarkers in blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that can predict Alzheimer’s risk up to 30 years before symptoms appear. Recent findings also link specific changes in speech patterns to early protein buildup, offering a potential non-invasive diagnostic tool.
• Addressing Health Disparities: The ADRC pioneered the use of the Area Deprivation Index (ADI) to show how neighborhood disadvantage—including poverty and lack of resources—directly correlates with faster brain shrinkage and amyloid plaque development.
• Longitudinal Research Powerhouse: The center manages the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention (WRAP), one of the world’s largest and longest-running studies of people at risk for the disease. Part of a broader NIH-funded cohort of nearly 5,000 Wisconsinites, over 1,700 participants are enrolled in WRAP itself. Participants enrolled at an average age of 54—midlife—providing over two decades of longitudinal data on cognitive health, genetics, and risk factors used by researchers globally.
• Community Care Infrastructure: The center maintains a statewide network of 44 affiliated dementia diagnostic clinics, ensuring that rural and underserved populations in Wisconsin have access to specialist care and clinical trials. 
• Only Geriatrics-Focused ADRC in the Nation: The Wisconsin ADRC holds a unique distinction as the only National Institute on Aging (NIA)-designated Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center in the country with a specific focus on geriatric care. This means clinical research is deeply integrated with the specialized health needs of older adults, setting it apart from all other ADRCs in the national network.
• Alzheimer’s Association 2025 Annual Report: The UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s features a discussion of key trends and findings from the Alzheimer’s Association’s 2025 Annual Report as a resource for patients, families, and caregivers. Titled “Facing the Facts: Looking at the Alzheimer’s Association’s 2025 Annual Report,” this resource reflects UW’s ongoing commitment to making the latest national research accessible to the public.

 

Recent Developments and 2025–2026 Updates

The following updates reflect the most recent progress from the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer’s (IEA), the Wisconsin ADRC, and the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute (WAI) as of early 2026.

• IEA Innovation Fund – Driving Philanthropic Research: Launched in 2023, the IEA Innovation Fund provides flexible seed funding to researchers, clinicians, and teams across the ADRC, WAI, and Geriatrics Division. It supports start-up equipment, bridge funding during grant gaps, clinical trial enrollment campaigns, and workforce development. The fund represents the vital link between federal infrastructure and nimble, donor-powered innovation—enabling promising ideas to move faster toward breakthroughs.
• WRAP Expanded to Over 1,700 Participants: The Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention (WRAP) now follows over 1,700 participants—an update from the 1,500 figure cited previously. Led by Sterling Johnson, PhD, Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor, WRAP provides more than two decades of longitudinal cognitive health data and is actively recruiting an additional 200 African American participants, with study visits available in Milwaukee, Madison, and La Crosse.
• Lancet Neurology Policy Paper (2026): Sterling Johnson, PhD, is co-author of a forthcoming Policy View in the March 2026 issue of The Lancet Neurology. The paper offers recommendations on Alzheimer’s disease treatment and prevention, with a focus on interventions for people who are cognitively unimpaired but at elevated risk for future symptoms—a critical frontier for preventive care.
• New 2026 Developmental Project Awards: In March 2026, the Wisconsin ADRC announced its funded Developmental Project Award recipients for 2026–2027. Selected investigators include Kevin Lin, PhD (UW Biostatistics), Tasha Rhoads, PhD (UW Neurology), and Oswaldo Lorenzo-Betancor, MD, PhD (UW Neurology/GRECC). These awards support feasibility studies targeting Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, keeping the pipeline of emerging research strong.
• TDP-43 Biomarker Summit: The Wisconsin ADRC hosted a major 2025 scientific summit—“Advancing TDP-43 Biomarkers: From Discovery to Application”—bringing together leading experts including Henrik Zetterberg and Sterling Johnson. TDP-43 is a protein implicated in multiple dementias and a growing area of focus within the CLARiTI initiative’s work on mixed dementia. A follow-up 2026 TDP-43 Summit is already scheduled.
• Healthy Living with MCI Education Series (2026): The ADRC’s “Healthy Living with Mild Cognitive Impairment” program continues to expand in 2026, drawing strong participation and positive feedback across Wisconsin and beyond. The series offers science-backed education on brain health and Alzheimer’s prevention strategies, with the first 2026 installment—focused on ultra-processed foods and brain health—held in March 2026 via Zoom and community host sites statewide. This free public program reflects UW’s commitment to translating research into actionable guidance for everyday people.
• Microplastics and Dementia Risk – Emerging Research Area: A notable topic from the Dementia Matters podcast and broader scientific literature involves microplastics and their potential neurological impact. Research published in Nature Medicine found that microplastic concentrations in human brain tissue were 7 to 30 times higher than in the liver or kidneys, with significantly elevated levels observed in brains of individuals who had dementia. UW’s Dr. Chin featured this emerging area on the podcast, underscoring how the center stays at the forefront of novel environmental and lifestyle risk factor research.
• Equity-Centered Research – Black Americans and Early Detection: ADRC researchers Barbara Fischer, PsyD, and Carey Gleason, PhD, published findings on blood biomarkers and cognitive testing methods that could help identify middle-aged Black adults at risk for Alzheimer’s. This work is especially significant given that Black Americans are nearly twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease but are historically underrepresented in predictive research. Their AA-FAIM cohort study, established in 2016, continues to grow and aims to ensure that early detection tools are validated across diverse populations.
• Dementia Matters Podcast – 2025 Highlights: In 2025, the Dementia Matters podcast featured more than 25 guests covering over 20 topics spanning caregiving strategies, current treatment options, and the latest research landscape. Topics included lecanemab eligibility guidelines, hearing loss and brain health, the state of Alzheimer’s clinical trials, and microplastics. The podcast continues to serve as a trusted bridge between complex science and the families who need it most.

*Updated 3/20/2026