Overview

After 100 years of research, we still do not have a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. The majority of research funding has remained largely dedicated to long-standing, traditional methods of neurodegenerative research and is less inviting of research investigating a potential microbial link to the disease.

Intriguing evidence suggests Alzheimer’s disease may have a link to infectious diseases or a microbial mechanism. Could this be the missing link to lead to a cure?

To advance research that could shed light and provide hope to the more than 5.7 million Americans and 47 million people worldwide living with the disease, the IDSA Foundation established the Alzheimer’s Research Grant, now known as the Microbial Pathogenesis in Alzheimer’s Disease Grant, in 2018 to foster further investigation. These grants support research that suggests an infectious agent or microbial community is correlated to Alzheimer’s disease and promotes novel research in the field of microbial triggers for Alzheimer’s disease.

This program began solely as a grant-making endeavor. However, over the past 5 years, it has progressed into an established research community development program that promotes the pathogenic framework and provides support and opportunities for scientific advancement.