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July 15, 2025
With a $21 million renewal grant from the National Institute on Aging, the University of California, Irvine reinforces its status as a global leader in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias research. The five-year award will support the continued work of UCI MIND’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, which has been advancing understanding of memory impairments and engaging with the community for more than 40 years.
“This funding comes at a crucial moment for our research,” said Joshua Grill, Ph.D., director of UCI MIND and co-director of the ADRC. “It will build on our history of discovery and propel translational dementia research to new heights at UC Irvine.”
A legacy of innovation and impact
UC Irvine’s ADRC was established in 1984 as one of the first five federally designated Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centers in the U.S. and has been continuously funded by the National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health. Today, this network includes 35 NIA-supported centers. The latest renewal confirms the UC Irvine ADRC’s longstanding excellence and its critical role in addressing a growing public health crisis – particularly in aging populations across Southern California.
“This renewed funding reflects the exceptional work of numerous UC Irvine clinicians and scientists dedicated to studying dementia-causing diseases,” said Frank LaFerla, Ph.D., co-director of the ADRC and the Dr. Lionel and Fay Ng Dean’s Chair in Biological Sciences. “It highlights UC Irvine’s cross-disciplinary commitment to addressing one of today’s most pressing health challenges.”
A collaborative approach
UCI MIND’s research assimilates expertise from across campus – one of its defining strengths. With more than 60 faculty members from over 20 departments, the institute supports collaboration among world-class experts in neuroscience, neurology, psychiatry, pathology, geriatrics, statistics, public health and more. The ADRC itself includes nine integrated “cores” of research, drawing on campuswide faculty to investigate memory disorders from every angle.
UCI MIND is recognized nationally for its landmark studies and innovative research initiatives. It was the first ADRC to establish dedicated cores for induced pluripotent stem cells – powerful tools for studying disease mechanisms – and distinctive “special populations,” including the oldest old and people with Down syndrome. These programs have positioned UC Irvine as a national leader in understanding how Alzheimer’s manifests across unique groups.
A focus on community engagement
The impact of UCI MIND extends well beyond the clinic and the lab. Each year, thousands of Orange County residents benefit from free in-person events, as well as digital outreach and educational resources, making the center a trusted hub for the latest information on brain health and aging.
The institute is also deeply involved in clinical trials, serving as a key site in the NIH-funded Alzheimer’s Clinical Trials Consortium and helping lead the IMPACT-AD training initiative for future clinical trial investigators, in partnership with USC and other consortium members.
More than 6,000 Orange County residents have joined UC Irvine’s Consent-to-Contact Registry – an innovative, voluntary database that connects individuals with relevant clinical studies. This effort has generated over 10,000 referrals, greatly accelerating the pace of research and giving community members a straightforward way to contribute to scientific progress.
“The ADRC is a cornerstone of our mission,” Grill said, “because it brings our research directly into the community – through clinical trials, educational programs and partnerships that empower people to make informed decisions about their brain health.”
Shaping the future of dementia research
Along with cutting-edge science, the grant will fund initiatives to train the next generation of dementia researchers and clinicians. It will also deepen the center’s ties to the Orange County community through outreach, recruitment and public education programs.