The University of Alabama at Birmingham has created the Pre-Doctoral Scholars Program for Alzheimer’s Disease Research with a generous grant from the Alzheimer’s of Central Alabama Junior Board. The program will support two graduate students conducting Alzheimer’s disease research over the next three years.
“By investing in student support, the ACA Jr. Board is simultaneously investing in current research projects and developing the future workforce for Alzheimer’s disease research,” said David G. Standaert, M.D., Ph.D., the John N. Whitaker Professor and chair of the Department of Neurology in the School of Medicine.
“This focused program is for pre-doctoral graduate students to study basic and translational approaches to Alzheimer’s disease,” said Erik Roberson, M.D., Ph.D., Patsy W. and Charles A. Collat Professor of Neuroscience, and director of the UAB Alzheimer’s Disease Center. “This unique emphasis will enable our students to take leading roles in therapeutic discovery across the spectrum of different skill sets and enterprises that are required to deliver the vitally needed treatments of the future.”
In addition to the Pre-Doctoral Scholars Program, ACA has funded 24 research grants at Alabama universities since 2001, including 21 at UAB.
ACA’s Jr. Board, which includes two UAB employees and graduate students, works year-round to support Alzheimer’s disease research.