Dr. Chen-Plotkin and her team have developed two prototype tests for detecting elements of LBD, including measuring accumulations of alpha-synuclein proteins in in biofluids. This research could help in the development of blood-based biomarkers for the disease. Dr. Chen-Plotkin was also a recipient of an American Brain Foundation Next Generation Research Grant for ALS in 2008 and currently serves on the Foundation’s Research Advisory Committee.

Alice Chen-Plotkin, MD was awarded a #CureOneCureMany Award in #LewyBodyDementia.

Institution: @upenn.edu

This $1 million award is funded in collaboration with @alzassociation.bsky.social and The Michael J. Fox Foundation.

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Dr. Higginbotham and her team will employ machine-learning processes to make a comprehensive study of proteins in LBD plasma samples. This will help scientists better understand individual variability in LBD, and thereby help to improve precision in diagnosis, prediction, and treatment. Dr. Higginbotham was also a recipient of an American Brain Foundation Next Generation Research Grant for LBD in 2020.

Lenora Higginbotham, MD was awarded a #CureOneCureMany Award in #LewyBodyDementia.

Institution: @emorydeptofmed.bsky.social

This $1 million award is funded in collaboration with @alzassociation.bsky.social and The Michael J. Fox Foundation.

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Dr. Kizil and his team at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City will develop a first-in-class precision therapy that targets accumulation of the protein fibronectin and subsequent neuroinflammation at its source before irreversible damage and cognitive decline occur. This therapy could offer safer, genetically informed, and personalized treatment options for patients carrying the APOE-ε4 allele, which is the strongest genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease.

Caghan Kizil, PhD was awarded a #CureOneCureMany Catalyst Award in #Neuroinflammation.

Institution: @columbiauniversity.bsky.social

This $500K award is funded with the National MS Society, Gates Ventures, NFL Players Association, Genentech, and WoodNext Foundation.

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Dr. Bennett and her team at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania will coordinate three different laboratories to study the neuroimmune mechanism of how microglia—the brain’s immune cells, which trigger neuroinflammation—transition into an early form called ISGMs (interferon-stimulated gene-expressing microglia). This could lead to new therapies that replace and engineer microglia to treat potentially hundreds of brain diseases.

Mariko Bennett, MD, PhD was awarded a #CureOneCureMany Catalyst Award in #Neuroinflammation.

Institution: @childrensphila.bsky.social

This $500K award is funded with the National MS Society, Gates Ventures, NFL Players Association, Genentech, and WoodNext Foundation.

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Dr. Rowitch and his team will study neuroinflammation and its role in multiple sclerosis, particularly regarding neurons that express the genetic marker CUX2. They will identify pathways for clinical intervention and develop approaches to enhance DNA repair after damage from neuroinflammation.

David Rowitch, MD, PhD was awarded a #CureOneCureMany Breakthrough Award in #Neuroinflammation.

Institution: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

This $2 million award is funded with the National MS Society, Gates Ventures, NFL Players Association, Genentech, and WoodNext Foundation.

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Today is Rare Disease Day! The American Brain Foundation promotes and invests in research across the whole spectrum of the brain. We know that all brain diseases, rare or common, are interconnected. When we cure one, we will cure many.

Today is #RareDiseaseDay. Over 300 million people around the world live with one of more than 6,000 rare diseases, including brain diseases. We know that when we cure one, we will cure many. #CureOneCureMany

Image: A photograph of a group of researchers working in a lab. Text: Coming soon! The wait is almost over. Soon you’ll learn more about the researchers we’re funding to spark discoveries that bring us closer to cures for brain disease.

We’re thrilled to announce that next week we’ll be revealing our Next Generation Research Grant recipients for 2026! Stay tuned to learn about their groundbreaking scientific investigations. 👀 #BrainResearch #CureOneCureMany

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (#ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (#FTD) have many things in common. Research on one disease often leads to relevant data that could help treat or cure others. #CureOneCureMany

#Alzheimers disease and #Parkinsons disease both progress due to toxic accumulations of misfolded proteins within brain cells. Parkinson’s specifically affects cells that produce dopamine, a chemical for relaying signals throughout the nervous system. #Neurodegeration #CureOneCureMany

Thank you to the donors who funded brain research in 2025. Our work is only possible because of donors like you. Thank you!

Thank you to all donors who contributed to fund brain research this past year and helped us meet our challenge goal! This work is only possible because of donors like you. You are making a difference in the fight against brain disease. 💓 #CureOneCureMany

Diagnoses can change life as we know it. By funding research, we can find preventions, treatments, and cures so that everyone can live without #BrainDisease. #CureOneCureMany #ResearchMatters

Brain diseases can strike anyone at any time, and they can change everything. Our best hope is to invest in research for better prevention, treatments, and cures. #CureOneCureMany #ResearchMatters

We’re thrilled to join forces‬ to support bold research in neuroinflammation. Your partnership helps power the discoveries that move brain health forward. Grateful to be in this work together! 🧠✨ #CureOneCureMany

"Thank you!" overlayed over a group of people celebrating.

Thank you to all donors who supported #BrainResearch last year. Your thoughtful contribution, in any amount, is making a difference, funding important studies to get us closer to preventing and curing brain diseases. #CureOneCureMany

Pressure waves expanding outward from the brain depicting neuroinflammation.

#Neuroinflammation is both a blessing and a curse—a vital immune response to heal the brain but also a mechanism underlying 600+ brain diseases. Read our latest blog post to learn more about neuroinflammation and why we’re funding an award to research it: https://buff.ly/3Wj791s #CureOneCureMany