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Mission
The mission of the Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research (CNDR) is to promote and conduct multidisciplinary clinical and basic research to increase the understanding of the causes and mechanisms leading to brain dysfunction and degeneration in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), Lewy body dementia (LBD), Frontotemporal degeneration (FTD), Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Primary lateral sclerosis (PLS), Motor neuron disease (MND), and related disorders that occur increasingly with advancing age. Implicit in the mission of the CNDR are two overarching goals: 1.) Find better ways to cure and treat these disorders, 2. Provide training to the next generation of scientists.
“My vision for CNDR is to create a world with effective interventions to prevent and cure aging-related neurodegenerative diseases.” – Eddie Lee, MD, PhD, Director of CNDR
John Q. Trojanowski, MD, PhD | 1946 - 2022
In loving memory of John Q. Trojanowski, MD, PhD
Latest Research
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Spatially and temporally progressive hypoperfusion in Alzheimer's disease revealed by normative modeling
Friday, March 27, 2026
INTRODUCTION: Cerebral perfusion is implicated in Alzheimer's disease (AD), but its development in AD and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is not well characterized.
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Racial and Ethnic Reporting and Representation in US Alzheimer Clinical Trials: A Systematic Review
Friday, March 27, 2026
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: US-based phase 3 AD trials showed substantial gaps in racial and ethnic reporting and representation from 1997 to 2023, limiting the evaluation of treatment safety and efficacy across diverse populations. These findings suggest that stronger reporting standards and more inclusive trial design and recruitment strategies are needed to improve the equity and generalizability of AD trials.
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LRRK2-targeting antisense oligonucleotide in Parkinson's disease: a phase 1 randomized controlled trial
Wednesday, March 25, 2026
LRRK2 (encoding leucine-rich repeat kinase 2) variants are the most common genetic cause of Parkinson's disease (PD). Lowering LRRK2 levels and/or inhibiting LRRK2 activity may modify PD-associated neuropathology. BIIB094 (ION859), an antisense oligonucleotide, targets LRRK2 mRNA for degradation. REASON was a first-in-human randomized phase 1 study investigating the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of intrathecal BIIB094 in patients with PD. In part A, 40 participants...