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Headshots of CureAlz’s second cohort of Cardinal Family Scholars
Wellesley Hills, Mass., Sept. 30, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Cure Alzheimer’s Fund® (CureAlz®) today announced its second cohort of Cardinal Family Scholars who, combined, will receive a total of $6.4 million over the next two years to advance their research into Alzheimer’s disease.
The Cardinal Family Scholars program identifies and invests in early- and mid-career scientists emerging as the next generation of leaders in Alzheimer’s research. For the 2026 class, the CureAlz Research Leadership Group selected seven scientists to receive approximately $460,000 per year for two years to advance Alzheimer’s disease research, with funding supporting investigations, research personnel, essential infrastructure and structured professional development. CureAlz also provides training to help these scientific leaders become public ambassadors for their own research and for how evidence-driven science is vital to patients now — and in the future.
“Our guiding principle has always been to make bold bets on promising research — investments in the world’s leading scientists who work tirelessly to find a cure,” said Meg Smith, CEO of Cure Alzheimer’s Fund. “The Cardinal Family Scholars program allows CureAlz to fuel the work of extraordinary investigators at pivotal points in their careers — giving them the resources to pursue promising ideas and build strong research programs — and to shape the next generation of Alzheimer’s research leaders. Investing in these scientists today accelerates the breakthroughs that will ultimately lead to a cure.”
CureAlz established the Cardinal Family Scholars program through a transformational, anonymous $50 million philanthropic commitment in 2025. The Scholars program is designed to protect the vital scientific talent pipeline to accelerate discoveries aimed at finding a cure for Alzheimer’s. In addition to funding at least five annual cohorts of scholars, the anonymous gift also provides ongoing support to sustain Alzheimer’s research impacted by federal funding instability and invests in research exploring precision and population-based approaches.
Collectively, the seven newly appointed Cardinal Scholars are investigating how different biological processes contribute to and interact in Alzheimer’s disease, with the goal of identifying new ways to protect the brain and advance treatment. This year’s cohort includes:
- Joel Blanchard, PhD, a stem cell biologist and neuroscientist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (New York City), whose research aims to define and target mechanisms of APOE4 cerebrovascular dysfunction and amyloid accumulation in Alzheimer’s disease.
- Joseph Castellano, PhD, a neuroscientist with expertise in aging and neurodegeneration at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (New York City), whose research focuses on restoring function within the amyloid-dysregulated oligodendrocyte-microglial niche through youth-associated blood-borne factors.
- Sandro Da Mesquita, PhD, a neuroimmunologist at Mayo Clinic Florida (Jacksonville, Fla.), who is targeting senescence mechanisms to restore brain lymphatic drainage in preclinical models of Alzheimer’s disease.
- Fanny Elahi, MD, PhD, a physician-scientist with expertise in brain aging, vascular biology, and neurodegenerative diseases at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (New York City), who is working on a bidirectional human framework linking vascular dysfunction and tauopathy across brain aging and dementias.
- Ana Griciuc, PhD, a neuroscientist and biochemist at Mass General Brigham Neuroscience Institute and Harvard Medical School (Boston), whose research aims to unlock TREM2 biology to enable new therapeutic strategies for Alzheimer’s disease.
- Adrian Oblak, PhD, a neuroscientist at Indiana University School of Medicine (Indianapolis), who is enhancing anti-amyloid therapeutic efficacy through SHIP1-mediated modulation of microglial function in Alzheimer’s disease.
- Jeffrey Savas, PhD, a neuroscientist with expertise in proteomics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine (Chicago), whose work is defining the presynaptic molecular switch linking amyloid pathology to tau pathogenesis.
CureAlz also funded six Cardinal Family Scholars in its inaugural cohort in 2025. For more information about Cure Alzheimer’s Fund and its research, visit CureAlz.org.
Cure Alzheimer’s Fund® and CureAlz® are registered trademarks of Cure Alzheimer’s Fund.
About Cure Alzheimer’s Fund
Cure Alzheimer’s Fund® (CureAlz®) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to funding the most promising research to prevent, slow or reverse Alzheimer’s disease. Since its founding in 2004, CureAlz has provided more than $280 million to over 400 of the world’s leading researchers and has achieved a 100% perfect score and a Four-Star rating from Charity Navigator for 14 consecutive years. The organization’s Board of Directors, Trustees, and Sustaining Partners empower CureAlz operations and allow 100% of other gifts to support its research program. For more information, visit CureAlz.org.
Attachments
- Cure Alzheimer's Fund logo
- Headshots of CureAlz's second cohort of Cardinal Family Scholars
CONTACT: Katie Spiegel Cure Alzheimer's Fund 6175486487 [email protected] Stephanie Wasco Cure Alzheimer's Fund 7813048614 [email protected]
