KINGSTON, R.I., February 26, 2018 — The University of Rhode Island’s George & Anne Ryan Institute for Neuroscience has joined forces with Arizona’s esteemed Banner Alzheimer’s Institute to increase the reach and impact of efforts at both institutes to find new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease and to support caregivers.

The first focus of the partnership is boosting enrollment in the Alzheimer’s Prevention Registry, hosted by Banner Alzheimer’s Institute. The Alzheimer’s Prevention Registry includes more than 290,000 adults age 18 and older from across the nation who are interested in learning about studies on Alzheimer’s research and prevention in their community. Any adult can join for free on the Ryan Institute website.

“We are proud to work with Banner Alzheimer’s Institute and the Alzheimer’s Prevention Registry to connect Rhode Islanders with important Alzheimer’s clinical studies and trials happening where they live,” said Paula Grammas, executive director of the Ryan Institute and Thomas M. Ryan Professor of Neuroscience. “There are critical advancements being made in Alzheimer’s research, but they depend on volunteers who are willing to participate in a study or trial. We see a great potential to help address this need in Rhode Island, and to benefit individuals and families affected by Alzheimer’s disease.”

People who join the Alzheimer’s Prevention Registry will be notified of any studies for which they may qualify. Many studies can be completed online. A portion are trials of investigational drug treatments.

“The Ryan Institute is committed to outreach efforts that empower the community in the fight against neurodegenerative disease,” said Grammas. “This partnership is not only a meaningful next step in that mission but also paves the way for future research collaborations and innovation.”

Based in Phoenix, Arizona, the Banner Alzheimer’s Institute is an internationally known care and research center for individuals and families affected by Alzheimer’s and is a world leader in brain imaging research. Banner Alzheimer’s Institute is part of Banner Health, among the largest nonprofit health care systems in the country.

“Nearly 80 percent of studies fail to meet their recruitment goals,” said Jessica Langbaum, director of the Alzheimer’s Prevention Registry and principal scientist at Banner Alzheimer’s Institute. “We are excited to partner with the Ryan Institute to connect Rhode Islanders to groundbreaking research studies taking place in their community.”