A Focus on Collaboration
At Banner Alzheimer’s Institute we are forging a new model of collaboration in biomedical research. We are proud to have numerous scientific, medical, academic and other industry partners collaboratively working with us on our mission to end Alzheimer’s disease.
Learn more about our partners, and how to become a partner, in ending Alzheimer’s before we lose another generation.
Banner Alzheimer’s Institute (BAI) is proud to be part of the Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium — the nation’s leading model of statewide collaboration in Alzheimer’s disease research.
Learn More >With more than 35 million people suffering worldwide, Alzheimer's disease is an unacceptable problem with an enormous physical, emotional and financial toll.
Learn More > Colombia Study >Banner Alzheimer’s Institute is proud to have numerous study collaborators working with us to end Alzheimer’s disease before another generation is lost. Our current study collaborators include:
Pharmaceutical Companies >ADNI
Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging InitiativeADCS
Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative StudiesADCC
Alzheimer’s Disease Core CenterBanner Alzheimer’s Institute
University of Arizona
Translational Genomics Research (TGen)
Mayo Clinic
Barrow Neurological Institute
Banner Sun Health Research Institute
Arizona State University
Colombia Study
5,000 family members with a rare misspelling of a gene called PS1, causing hereditary early-onset Alzheimer's, provide an opportunity for
prevention trials.
Banner Alzheimer’s Institute
University of Arizona
As one of the nation’s leading research universities, The University of Arizona works with Banner Alzheimer’s Institute and the Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium to provide:
- Leadership in brain imaging research
- Leadership in basic brain, memory, and aging research
- Education and outreach for patients, families, and caregivers
- Opportunities for community participation in basic research and testing new treatments
- Diagnostic and treatment services through its Alzheimer’s and Behavioral Neurology Clinic and its Memory Disorders Clinic at UofA’s Health Sciences Center in Tucson, Ariz.
Translational Genomics Research (TGen)
Through the Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium, Banner Alzheimer’s Institute (BAI) works closely with the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) to evaluate the role genes play in the development, progression, and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.
TGen’s AD research program uses state-of-the-art techniques that are able to pinpoint single cell differences or “gene expressions.” This work allows researchers to identify novel or unique genes and pathways that contribute to the development and progression of Alzheimer’s.
TGen also is engaged (in collaboration with BAI and the Consortium) in a large collaborative effort to identify every genetic variation that increases risk for Alzheimer’s. By scanning the genome of thousands of individuals both with and without the disease, researchers are identifying the genetic differences or variants that contribute a significant increased risk for developing the disease. These genetic variants can provide new information about the causes of Alzheimer’s and can be used as a diagnostic tool to determine a person’s inherent genetic risk for the disorder.
Mayo Clinic
Together with Banner Alzheimer’s Institute (BAI) and as part of the Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium, Mayo Clinic is at the forefront of clinical practice and research in Alzheimer’s disease.
As part of the Consortium, Mayo Clinic provides:
- Leadership in clinical neurology and patient care
- Expertise in cognitive assessment of patients
- Opportunities for patient and community participation in clinical and basic research
Mayo shares BAI’s belief that treatment programs should be tailored to each individual patient and take into account patient, family, and caregiver needs – while providing state-of-the-art care and access to new developments and appropriate clinical trials.
Barrow Neurological Institute
Working closely with Banner Alzheimer’s Institute and other members of the Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium, the Cognitive Disorders Program at Barrow Neurological Institute assesses and treats patients with disorders related to memory loss, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and other cognitive conditions.
As part of the Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium, Barrow provides:
- Sophisticated imaging technology and expertise in functional and structural neuroimaging
- Outreach programs and educational opportunities to the community, particularly the Latino community
- Basic and translational research leadership in the areas of normal and advanced aging
- Researcher access to a large volume of neurological patients with varying diagnoses and demographic characteristics
Banner Sun Health Research Institute
Banner Sun Health Research Institute (BSHRI) is a world-class leader in basic and translational (from the lab to clinical trials) research, clinical care, prevention and education regarding age-related conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and cardiovascular disease.
As part of Banner Health, BSHRI physician researchers have a well-regarded international reputation for conducting superior and ground-breaking clinical trials for the treatment of Alzheimer’s. BSHRI’s Cleo Roberts Center for Clinical Research takes laboratory discoveries to clinical trials that foster hope for new treatments.
As part of the Consortium, BSHRI provides:
- Researcher access to some of the world’s highest quality brain tissue via BSHRI’s world-renowned brain and body tissue bank
- Innovative research identifying important impacts of cholesterol, inflammation, and estrogen in Alzheimer’s
BSHRI, together with its Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium partners, has been designated by the National Institutes of Health as one of just 29 Alzheimer’s Disease Centers in the nation.
Arizona State University
Arizona State University (ASU) proudly partners with Banner Alzheimer’s Institute (BAI) and other members of the Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium to encourage scientific research that will help society, the U.S. health care system and—more than anything—people.
Through the Consortium, ASU faculty are working with BAI to develop:
- A preventive vaccine for Alzheimer’s
- Effective hormone replacement therapy affecting the brain and memory resources
- Improved self-care strategies for caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients
- Therapeutic antibodies directed against brain plaques
- Improvements in brain imaging technologies
- Always-advancing information on clinical care
Arizona Alzheimer’s
Consortium (AAC)
The Consortium unites the knowledge and expertise of world-renowned physician scientists to focus on a single goal: Improved scientific understanding and early detection of Alzheimer’s, leading to the development of effective disease-stopping and prevention therapies.
Established in 1998, the Consortium functions as a “research laboratory without walls,” leveraging the strengths of its seven member institutions in:
- Brain imaging computer science
- Genomics
- Basic and cognitive (thought-process-associated) neurosciences
- Pharmaceutical treatment
- Clinical and neuropathology research
As part of the Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium, BAI provides:
- A care model dedicated to meeting the medical and non-medical needs of patients and their care partners
- Pioneering brain imaging research that tracks the development of Alzheimer’s before the onset of symptoms and tests the effectiveness of potential prevention therapies
- Clinical research opportunities for qualifying participants who wish to share in clinical trials of experimental treatments
The Consortium complements BAI’s own outreach programs in educating Arizona residents about Alzheimer’s, research progress, and the resources available to help patients, families, and professional caregivers manage the disease.
Colombia
Study
Alzheimer's Prevention Initiative researchers plan to conduct a series of clinical trials in cognitively normal people residing in North America or Colombia and who, based on their age and genetic background, are at the highest risk of developing memory and thinking problems. These studies will also help us understand the value of various biomarkers in predicting response to treatment, if any is seen, as well as prognosis.
In fall 2011, about 50 members of this Colombian family, along with caregivers, traveled to the Banner Alzheimer’s Institute in Phoenix to participate in PET scan testing as well as informational lectures on amyloid plaque and Alzheimer’s disease. These initial sensitive scans were done first in Phoenix in order to save precious time: the equipment necessary to complete the scans in Medellin will not be available until 2012, and scientists concluded that gathering this information quickly was a crucial element in planning the first clinical trial. Caregivers were also provided support and helpful information to take with them and share with others caring for loved ones at home.
Arizona Alzheimer’s Disease
Core Center (ADCC)
Banner Alzheimer’s Institute (BAI) proudly houses the Arizona Alzheimer’s Disease Core Center (ADCC), sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
The ADCC is one of 29 Alzheimer’s disease Centers in the nation—a prestigious title awarded by the National Institute on Aging in recognition of our extremely productive Alzheimer’s disease (AD) research programs.
The ADCC’s primary goal is the development of a detailed clinical database to support scientific research in Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. The Center also supports innovative outreach programs for Arizona’s Hispanic and Native American communities.
Patient Outreach >Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
Banner Alzheimer’s Institute is a study partner in the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), a study that will aid in the early detection of Alzheimer’s and will help measure the effectiveness of treatments in future clinical trials.
This study will build on information obtained in previous ADNI studies and will examine how brain imaging technology can be used with other tests to measure the progression of mild cognitive impairment and early-onset Alzheimer’s disease.
Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Studies
The Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study (ADCS) is a major resource for Federal Alzheimer’s disease clinical studies. The ADCS, through it’s partner research institutions, facilitates the discovery, development and testing of new drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer’s.
ADCS was formed through a cooperative agreement between the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and the University of California, San Diego. Banner Alzheimer’s Institute is a study partner. Since its start in 1991, ADCS has initiated 30 research studies with a majority of studies carried out at more than 20 Alzheimer’s research institutions. The number of participants enrolled in these studies have ranged from nine to 800 people per study.
Learn more about ADCS >Pharmaceutical
Companies
Banner Alzheimer’s Institute (BAI) tests the most promising new therapies for the treatment and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease as quickly and efficiently as possible. To do this, BAI operates in a model of collaboration designed to bring pharmaceutical industry partners, academic discovery and development programs together to end Alzheimer’s before losing another generation.
At BAI, our leadership believes the best medical care for people with dementia includes education about and evaluation for possible research participation. BAI welcomes offers for participation in individual studies.
An increasing number of drugs and biologics need to be put to the test and we have extensive relationships with PHRMA, the Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study, the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, the NIA Alzheimer’s Disease Centers program, and a variety of investigators and institutions around the world. Our Institute blends state of the art clinical care for people with, or at risk for, Alzheimer’s disease with sophisticated research capabilities.
