Neurodegenerative diseases rank among the costliest diseases in the world. Diminishing risk factors for dementia like hypertension, lack of exercise and obesity is helping to reduce the prevalence of these disorders in wealthier segments of society, while lower-socio-economic populations are seeing increases in dementia prevalence. Compelling advances in basic science tied to novel clinical approaches are beginning to bear fruits in the diagnosis and early interventions for Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), non-AD dementias, and other neurodegenerative conditions. . Precision in diagnosis, tied to interventions around social determinants of health along with the discovery of novel disease-modifying therapies is bringing hope in a field that was once considered hopeless. 

This meeting takes a broad approach to neurodegenerative conditions, by bringing speakers from basic neurobiology, translational neuroscience, and the clinic to discuss advances in these fields. Novel themes at this conference will probe the effect of social determinants of health on dementia outcomes, discuss advances in precision-molecule-based diagnosis that include the use of AI modeling, new advances in clinical trials and new discoveries from basic biology around proteostasis, protein propagation and degradation. Sessions will bring together world leaders in neurodegeneration that will include emerging early investigators. The talks should inspire cross-talk between basic scientists and translational researchers to advance new cross-disciplinary approaches for the field.

Specifically, the program will:
1.    Capture advances in genetics across novel populations;
2.    Explore new discoveries in the biology of protein misfolding, aggregation, degradation and spreading for different molecular subtypes of pathogenic species;
3.    Highlight advances in diagnosis of neurodegenerative conditions from AI-based modeling, new blood-based biomarkers, and molecular imaging;
4.    Evaluate new therapeutic approaches that are being explored with platform trials;
5.    Mix scientists from industry with basic biologists and translational neuroscientists to explore new opportunities for precision diagnosis and therapeutics for patients.

Attendees should leave this meeting with new connections to people outside of their disciplines that will allow future innovations. The advances in diagnosis will be explored while areas that need new biomarkers originating from cutting edge neurobiology will be emphasized. Bringing therapies for preventing protein spread and increasing protein degradation will be advanced through the interaction of basic scientists with representatives from industry.