Researcher honored for impactful research at Alzheimer's Association International Conference®

The Alzheimer's Association is recognizing Li Gan, Ph.D., for publishing influential research on the biology of Alzheimer's disease with the Inge Grundke-Iqbal Award for Alzheimer's Research. The Award was presented today during a plenary session at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference® 2015 (AAIC® 2015) in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Gan receives the award for a paper reporting on a study that found the protein progranulin may protect against the accumulation of amyloid, one of the hallmark brain changes of Alzheimer's disease, in mouse models of Alzheimer's. The paper, "Progranulin protects against amyloid βdeposition and toxicity in Alzheimer's disease mouse models," of which Dr. Gan is the lead author, was published in the journal Nature Medicine in October 2014.

"Publication of an article is a moment in time, but Dr. Gan's paper will have a lasting impact on Alzheimer's and dementia research," said Maria Carrillo, Ph.D., chief science officer for the Alzheimer's Association. "Every scientist knows the countless hours of planning, implementation and analysis that go into quality research and subsequent publication of research papers. Today we recognize Dr. Gan for her tireless efforts and extraordinary contribution to the field."

Dr. Gan is an associate investigator at Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease in San Francisco and an associate professor of neurology in the neuroscience and biomedical science graduate programs at the University of California, San Francisco. Her research focuses on molecular pathways in Alzheimer's disease, including inflammation and mechanisms regulating the clearance of toxic proteins that accumulate in the brain.

The Inge Grundke-Iqbal Award for Alzheimer's Research is granted to the senior author of the most impactful study published in Alzheimer's research during the two calendar years preceding AAIC. The award was created to honor Inge Grundke-Iqbal, Ph.D., who served as professor and head of Neuroimmunology at the New York State Institute for Basic Research in Development Disabilities from 1977 until her passing in September 2012. A world renowned scientist and Alzheimer's disease researcher, Dr. Grundke-Iqbal made several seminal findings in the biology of Alzheimer's disease and related conditions, including a landmark discovery that opened a new area of research in neurodegeneration.

Provided by Alzheimer's Association