TAMPA – The Byrd Alzheimer’s Center & Research Institute has awarded $1.2 million in research grants to scientists across the state of Florida. The grants are part of the Institute’s mission to promote a collaborative approach to research in discovering a cure for Alzheimer’s. Researchers at the Institute are working with scientists around the world in an effort to expedite the process of taking scientific discoveries from the laboratory to the clinic.

“We are proud of the panel of distinguished experts who are working together to find a cure,” said Dr. Huntington Potter, CEO and scientific director of the Byrd Institute. “It is this type of collaborative effort that will enable us to fulfill our mission: to find new treatments for Alzheimer’s by conducting and supporting world-class science and cutting-edge research studies.”

In the fight against Alzheimer's disease, good ideas often need assistance to grow, which is why the Institute provides grant money for research projects of great promise. After an extensive review process by Alzheimer's experts from outside Florida, the Institute this year has awarded grants totaling $1.2 million to 19 new projects.

Through this collaborative effort between researchers and scientists, the Institute has been able to publish more than 63 articles in peer-reviewed journals.

The Institute, also designated as a Center of Excellence by the Florida Legislature, encourages research that will most quickly lead to new treatments. The expectation is that the results generated from the Institute’s initial support will lead to further funding from national agencies such as the National Institutes of Health. Florida scientists have already received more than $11 million in new funding resulting from the Byrd Institute’s grant program.

The 2007 grant recipients are:

• “A Pilot Randomized Intervention Study of Physical Exercise and Social Engagement," PI: Mortimer, James A., Ph.D., University of South Florida
• “Nutrition, Cognition and Cardiovascular Risk Status in Older Hispanic and Non Hispanic Groups,” PI: Shor-Posner, Gail, Ph.D, University of Miami
• “Optical Characterization of Amyloid Protein Aggregate Structures and Growth Rates,” PI: Muschol, Martin, Ph.D., University of South Florida
• “Trophic Effects of Cord Blood in Aging Brain,” PI: Willing, Alison E., Ph.D., University of South Florida
• “Longitudinal CD40/CD40L and Aß levels in Alzheimer's disease patients," PI: Ait-Ghezala, Ghania, Ph.D., Roskamp Institute
• “Peripheral beta-amyloid: Relationship to cognition, " PI: Luis, Cheryl A., Ph.D., Roskamp Institute
• “Examination of Covalent Cross-Linking in Amyloid-Beta Oligomers Important in AD,” PI: Rosenberry, Terrone L., Ph.D., Mayo Clinic
• “New Cognitive and Functional Measures for Detection of Early Alzheimer's Disease,” PI: Loewenstein, David A., Ph.D., University of Miami
• “Activation of A-Secretase as a Potential Therapeutic Strategy for AD,” PI: Tan, Jun, M.D., Ph.D., University of South Florida
• “Cell Signaling Factors as Therapeutic Targets in AD,” PI: Echeverria, Valentina, Ph.D., Bay Pines Foundation R&D
• “Cell-Based Therapies Using Transgenic Mice,” PI: Gordon, Marcia N., Ph.D., University of South Florida
• “Early Alzheimer's Automated Screening Test-Phase II (EAAST-II),” PI: Raj, Anil Kumar, M.D., Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition
• “Visual Rating System to Assess MRIs for Prodromal Alzheimer's Disease," PI: Potter, Elizabeth Dianne, Ph.D., Wien Center for Alzheimer's Disease & Memory Disorders
• “Understanding disparities in service use among White, African American and Hispanic Caregivers,” PI: Haley, William E., Ph.D., University of South Florida
• “Locomotor Variability in ALF Residents with AD MCI,” PI: Kearns, William D., Ph.D., Florida Mental Health Institute
• “Histone Deacetylation and Alzheimer's Disease,” PI: Ouimet, Charles C., Florida State University
• “Parish Nurse-Led Problem-Solving Counseling for Rural Dementia Caregivers: Initial Outcome Evaluation,” PI: Glueckauf, Robert Ph.D., Florida State University
• “Alzheimer's Disease and Asian Americans: Cultural Misconceptions and Stigma," PI: Jang, Yuri, Ph.D., University of South Florida
• “Discovery and Functional Assessment of Alzheimer's Disease Susceptibility Alleles in LRRTM3 and VR22 Genes, “PI: Ertekin-Taner, Nilufer, M.D., Ph.D., Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville

The mission of the Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute is to prevent and cure Alzheimer’s disease. Created in 2002 by the Florida Legislature, the Institute is dedicated to supporting and coordinating the tremendous research, expertise, and creative vision of scientific professionals all over Florida.

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