According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than 6 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Globally, 50 million people have been diagnosed with AD and other forms of dementia. 

Dementia is an overall term that describes a group of symptoms associated with a decline in memory and thinking skills. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia that affects memory, thinking and behavior. Symptoms eventually grow severe enough to interfere with daily tasks. 

Researchers across the globe are using innovative methods to investigate AD and how it can be treated and prevented. For Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month, we reached out to several Mass General AD investigators to learn more about their unique approaches to tackling Alzheimer’s—from regenerating healthy brain cells, to AD in adults with Down syndrome and new insights in neuroimaging and genetic engineering.

Amar Sahay, PhD

Associate Investigator, Center for Regenerative Medicine
Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School
James and Audrey Foster MGH Research Scholar 2019-2024

Dr. Sahay’s lab is interested in the how the hippocampus forms memories and deploys this information to guide behavior.

By learning how hippocampal circuits and neurogenesis (the formation of new neurons) contribute to memory, his research aspires to identify ways to improve memory during aging, mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease. 

“Basic neuroscience is the engine for novel pro-cognitive therapies and the more we support research, the better we are going to be prepared to alleviate the burden of Alzheimer’s disease,” says Dr. Sahay.

When Dr. Sahay is not a scientist, he loves spending time with his family (and his dog), running, and diving with sharks!

Florence Lai, MD

Physician Investigator, Interdisciplinary Brain Center, Pediatric Neurology
Assistant Professor of Neurology, Harvard Medical School

Dr. Lai’s specialized neurology clinic evaluates and follow adults with Down syndrome from 25 years and up.

She works closely with H. Diana Rosas, MD, director of the Center for Neuro-imaging of Aging and Neurodegenerative Disease at Mass General.

Adults with Down syndrome (trisomy 21) have a very high incidence of AD with the onset as young as age 40 and over 75% developing AD by the time they reach their 60s.  

Many of her patients also participate in translational research projects, including an international observational study that was funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Drs. Lai and Rosas and their research team are developing biomarkers to identify early biological changes in individuals with Down syndrome that precede clinical symptoms.

This includes biomarkers in blood (genetic, metabolomic or proteomic), the brain (neuroimaging, CSF), or cognitive performance, as well as other markers indicating symptom progression.

“We are dedicated to finding treatments for Alzheimer’s disease for our special patients with Down syndrome,” says Dr Lai.

Meet more Mass General Alzheimer’s disease researchers and learn about their work in part two of our series!

About the Mass General Research Institute
Research at Massachusetts General Hospital is interwoven through more than 30 different departments, centers and institutes. Our research includes fundamental, lab-based science; clinical trials to test new drugs, devices and diagnostic tools; and community and population-based research to improve health outcomes across populations and eliminate disparities in care.
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