ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE CENTER (ADC)
DIRECTOR: STEVEN H. FERRIS, Ph.D.

The Alzheimer's Disease Center (ADC) at NYU School of Medicine is one of thirty Alzheimer's disease research centers in the United States supported by the National Institutes on Aging. The ADC pulls together the resources of several fields supporting a comprehensive multidisciplinary research program on Alzheimer's disease. Its goal is to increase scientific knowledge about the origins and progression of brain aging and Alzheimer's disease and related disorders, and to use this knowledge to develop methods for early diagnosis and treatment of the disease.

The ADC is comprised of seven core facilities: clinical, neuropathology, neuroimaging, caregiver, education, administrative, and database cores. These facilities work together to provide the scientific community at NYU with the ability to acquire expanded knowledge in the areas of molecular and cell biology, neuropathology, neuroimaging, psychopharmacology, and various areas of mental health. Each year the ADC supports several pilot study grants for new researchers.

Through the work of the core divisions, the Alzheimer's Disease Center is able to provide important services to its patients and families. State-of-the-art diagnostic evaluations for memory impairment are provided to hundreds of patients each year. For families who are caring for a person with cognitive impairment, the Caregiver Program offers ongoing counseling and support, while the Education Program provides an avenue for sharing up-to-date research findings through the center's newsletter and web site. The Center's Brain Donation Program benefits families who would ultimately find comfort a definitive diagnosis. With the inception of the center's Multicultural Aging Assessment Program, the ADC is able to extend all of its services to underserved populations and people whose primary language is Spanish.