Three Scientists Receive Lifetime Achievement Awards in Alzheimer’s Disease Research at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference

CHICAGO, July 24, 2018 — The Alzheimer’s Association presented the AAIC Lifetime Achievement Awards to honor three individuals who have made significant scientific contributions and demonstrated lifelong commitments to progress against Alzheimer’s and dementia. The awards were presented during the plenary session on Tuesday, July 24, at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference 2018 (AAIC 2018) in Chicago.

This year’s honorees are Jeffrey L. Cummings, M.D., Sc.D., from the Cleveland Clinic and Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University; Ann C. McKee, M.D., from VA Boston Healthcare System and Boston University School of Medicine; and John Q. Trojanowski, M.D., Ph.D., from the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine.

Dr. Cummings is the recipient of the Bengt Winblad Lifetime Achievement Award in Alzheimer’s Research. A world-renowned Alzheimer’s researcher and leader of clinical trials, he is the founding director of the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas, Nevada and Cleveland, Ohio. Cummings is a Professor of Medicine in Neurology at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University. Dr. Cummings is the Principal Investigator and Director of the NIH/NIGMS-funded Center for Neurodegeneration and Translational Neuroscience. And he was the founding director of the UCLA Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. His research interests include clinical trials, developing new therapies for brain diseases, and the interface of neuroscience and society.

Dr. McKee is the recipient of the Henry Wisniewski Lifetime Achievement Award in Alzheimer’s Research. She is director of Neuropathology for VA Boston Healthcare System and Professor of Neurology and Pathology at Boston University School of Medicine. McKee is also director of the Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) Center and Associate Director of the Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Center. She was the first scientist to report a link between motor neuron disease and CTE. Dr. McKee created the “McKee criteria” by defining the criteria on the changes in the brain for the diagnosis of CTE and establishing the novel staging system for the condition.

Dr. Trojanowski is the recipient of the Khalid Iqbal Lifetime Achievement Award in Alzheimer’s Research. He has been on the faculty of The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania since 1981 where he is currently a professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Director of the NIA Alzheimer’s Disease Center, Director of the NINDS Morris K. Udall Parkinson’s Disease Center, Co-Director of the Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research and Director of the Institute on Aging. His research focuses on Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), frontotemporal degeneration (FTD) and related disorders. Dr. Trojanowski has made several discoveries of the major disease proteins in these disorders, and that aggregation and cell-to-cell spread of these disease proteins is a common mechanism underlying each of these conditions. His research has helped identify targets for potential drug therapies and treatments.

“Each of these researchers has made lasting contributions to help accelerate the progress towards finding the underlying causes, treatments and preventions for Alzheimer’s and related dementias,” said Maria C. Carrillo, Ph.D., chief science officer, Alzheimer’s Association. “Their impressive commitment to scientific research to help people living with these diseases now, and to find treatments and preventions for the future, is what we are honoring at AAIC.”

The AAIC Lifetime Achievement Awards are named in honor of Henry Wisniewski, M.D., Ph.D., Khalid Iqbal, Ph.D., and Bengt Winblad, M.D., Ph.D., the co-founders of the conference now known as the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference. These awards honor significant fundamental contributions to Alzheimer’s research, either through a single scientific discovery or a body of work.

The Alzheimer’s Association is committed to accelerating the global effort to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease and to recognizing the efforts of researchers who further our understanding about this devastating disease. As the worldwide nonprofit leader in funding Alzheimer’s research, we continue to directly fund cutting-edge research with approximately $160 million accelerating advances in 21 countries around the world.

The Alzheimer’s Association International Conference^® (AAIC^®)
The Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) is the world’s largest gathering of researchers from around the world focused on Alzheimer’s and other dementias. As a part of the Alzheimer’s Association’s research program, AAIC serves as a catalyst for generating new knowledge about dementia and fostering a vital, collegial research community.
AAIC 2018 home page: aaic.alz.org/
AAIC 2018 newsroom: aaic.alz.org/press.asp

About the Alzheimer's Association^®
The Alzheimer’s Association is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer's care, support and research. Our mission is to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research, to provide and enhance care and support for all affected, and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer’s. Visit alz.org or call 800.272.3900.

Media Contacts: 
Alzheimer’s Association AAIC Press Office, 312-949-8710, aaicmedia@alz.org
Jann Ingmire, Alzheimer's Association, 312-335-5704, jlingmire@alz.org