Groundbreaking cures require world-class research, care and … generous people just like you

Chances are good you know neighbors and friends who’ve been affected by Alzheimer’s disease. Maybe even family members.

At Baylor College of Medicine’s Center for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases (CAND), we’re leading the way toward a day when these life-threatening conditions no longer put any of our loved ones at risk. As a vital hub for interdisciplinary research affiliated with the largest medical center in the world, we’re uniquely positioned to quickly turn new research-driven discoveries into treatments that benefit patients near and far.

There is hope. And it’s fueled by generous donors, whose support is essential to our success.

One key challenge — and opportunity — in addressing neurodegenerative diseases is how differently they affect different people. “No two patients are alike,” as CAND director Dr. Joshua Shulman puts it. That’s why, at CAND, we’re pioneering the development of personalized approaches for diagnostics, risk prediction and ultimately treatment for and prevention of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS) and other devastating conditions.

This requires, explains Dr. Shulman, nothing less than …

And that’s exactly what CAND is creating. Through cutting-edge research, cross-disciplinary partnerships and direct patient care, Baylor is advancing how we understand the unique interactions between genes, lifestyle and other factors that can trigger forms of neurodegeneration — and applying these insights to targeted therapies designed to meet the needs of each patient.

Dr. Shulman is excited about the work ahead for his team. “We’re trying to increase access to the treatments that we currently have,” he says. “And we’re trying to push the envelope of completely new treatment approaches that we think are going to hopefully cure this disease and better protect people against it in the years ahead.”

But like you, we at Baylor want to move as fast as possible. The quicker we can accelerate research and clinical testing, the sooner we can bring potential new therapies to market that will improve the quality of life for the millions of Americans living with neurodegenerative diseases.