In this interview, conducted in conjunction with the Society for Neuroscience 2024 conference, Heather Snyder, Senior Vice President of Medical and Scientific Relations at the Alzheimer’s Association, discusses the Association’s key research initiatives, breakthroughs in Alzheimer’s diagnostics and treatment, and the crucial role of cooperation and public cooperation. awareness in promoting the fight against dementia.
Can you introduce yourself and your current role within the Alzheimer’s Association and provide an overview of your career?
My name is Heather Snyder. I’m one of the scientists at the Alzheimer’s Association. My title is Senior Vice President of Medical and Scientific Relations. In my role, I oversee all of our funding programs and lead a number of different scientific initiatives, including serving on the leadership team for the US POINTER study. I’m also part of the ALZ-NET study team, and a few other things.
What are the Alzheimer’s Association’s current research priorities? And how do they fit in with the latest developments in neuroscience?
An important part of the Alzheimer’s Association’s core mission is to advance research into Alzheimer’s disease and all other forms of dementia. As part of this, we recognize the importance of understanding the biological bases of Alzheimer’s disease and other diseases that cause cognitive impairment, and the need for tools that enable early and accurate diagnosis. Expanding the pipeline of therapeutic interventions is also critical, and that includes drug therapies and approaches such as behavioral modification or combination therapies.
At the same time, we understand that many people are living with these diseases today, so developing best practices in care, interventions and support is equally important. Some of our funding is also spent on these areas.
In addition to funding, we also bring together the scientific community for networking and research discussions on various topics. For example, we have an upcoming meeting on health equity and another in the spring focused on Apolipoprotein E and lipid biology in Alzheimer’s disease. We are always looking for ways to advance research in all areas.
About the Alzheimer’s Association (English)
Can you highlight any recent breakthroughs in Alzheimer’s disease research that the Society has supported or been involved with?
Two important developments in Alzheimer’s disease research are the emergence of new tools for early and accurate diagnosis as we learn more and more about the disease and the potential to replicate these tools, such as blood tests, in clinical trials and use in clinical practice. line. We have been involved in this space for many years.
The second key area is the need for interventions and therapies that can halt or slow the progression of the disease at all stages. Our **Part the Cloud** initiative is a robust clinical trial funding program that has significantly contributed to the diversification of the clinical pipeline in this area.
Additionally, we are one of the largest nonprofit funders in the world focused on multimodal interventions to reduce the risk of cognitive impairment in at-risk populations. Our support includes the US POINTER study, along with other global initiatives such as the Latin American FINGERS study, the Dutch FINGERS study, MET-FINGERS and many others.
How does the Alzheimer’s Association work with neuroscientists at events like SFN? How do you see these partnerships shaping the future of Alzheimer’s research?
We are all in this together. Understanding someone who has been through this journey with Alzheimer’s or one of the other diseases that cause cognitive impairment, we know how important it is to really move the research forward so that we have ways to intervene to understand who is most at risk, who may have it. earliest changes, identify those changes and intervene in any evidence-based way possible, and also ensure that we are providing the best care.
At events such as the Society for Neuroscience our team meets some of our winners. This afternoon we even had lunch with about 30 of our Alzheimer’s Association Research Fellows and Alzheimer’s Association Clinical Science Fellows, coming together as a networking opportunity to share the latest data and discoveries.
I was sitting at a table with four people from New York, and they didn’t know each other yet. So it really speaks to the importance of collaboration and networking between scientists and sharing the work that we all do.
What initiatives is the Alzheimer’s Association leading to increase public awareness and education about Alzheimer’s disease, especially within underrepresented or high-risk communities?
This is such an important question, especially in a space where we are deeply involved in our larger mission as an organization. The Alzheimer’s Association publishes every year Facts and figures about Alzheimer’s disease—an annual report that addresses the prevalence and incidence of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia-causing diseases, as well as the direct and indirect costs, and the impact on health care providers and the national economy.
Each edition also includes a special report on an emerging topic, helping to highlight the urgency of these diseases and raise awareness in our communities. It also highlights the resources available, such as support groups and educational programs. Right now, we are in the middle of Walk to End Alzheimer’s season, a national event organized by the Alzheimer’s Association that serves as an important way to raise community awareness, connect families, and link them to resources and information.
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How does the association work to influence policy changes that could advance research into Alzheimer’s disease or improve care for patients and their families?
Another important aspect of the Alzheimer’s Association’s work as a voluntary health organization is our active public policy team, which focuses on raising awareness of community needs, plus advocating for increased research funding and supporting legislation and regulations. This has been a top priority for the association, even before the passage of the National Alzheimer’s Project Act in the US. Since then, we have seen a more than sevenfold increase in federal research funding for Alzheimer’s disease and related diseases.
What are some of the biggest challenges the association faces when it comes to funding Alzheimer’s research? How can the neuroscience community support these efforts?
There is so much good science. One of our challenges is that we receive so many applications, but we can only finance a few. We know that more valuable research needs to be done. Identifying opportunities for collaboration and synergy is certainly a step forward. We also rely on the scientific community to help us in the peer review process, an area where everyone can play a role.
Looking ahead to the years ahead, what breakthroughs or milestones does the Alzheimer’s Association hope to achieve by 2025?
We recently saw the first FDA approvals in the United States for a new class of drugs that target the underlying biology of Alzheimer’s disease and provide clinical benefits for patients. We are excited to see this pipeline continue to grow and we hope to see additional treatments in the future, including lifestyle or behavioral interventions, that can help all people living with these diseases.
Finally, how does the Alzheimer’s Association integrate the voices and needs of Alzheimer’s patients and caregivers into the research and development process?
Absolutely, it’s incredibly important. The association created the Early Stage Advisory Group, one of the first initiatives to bring the voices of people with Alzheimer’s disease to the forefront. This group has played a central role in much of our work and ensures we gather their input every step of the way. Equally important are the caregivers who provide care to people with Alzheimer’s disease and other cognitive disorders. Their perspectives are crucial in shaping discussions around priorities and identifying key needs.
Where can readers find more information?
About Heather Snyder Ph.D.
Heather M. Snyder, Ph.D., is senior vice president, Medical & Scientific Operations at the Alzheimer’s Association. In this role, she oversees the Association’s funding initiatives that accelerate innovative Alzheimer’s and dementia research and provide opportunities for the global dementia community to connect and collaborate.
Dr. Snyder leads the Association’s International Research Grant Program and other strategic funding initiatives that accelerate promising research in our understanding of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. As the world’s largest nonprofit funder of Alzheimer’s research, the Association currently has more than $430 million invested in more than 1,110 active projects in 56 countries across six continents.
As part of the Association’s funding portfolio, Dr. Snyder works closely with the Part the Cloud program, advancing innovative approaches for potential therapies in Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical trials. Dr. Snyder has also been instrumental in advancing programs to further investigate sex- and gender-based differences in disease vulnerability as part of a larger initiative aimed at understanding how these biological and genetic factors influence disease development and progression can affect women.
Dr. Snyder leads several of the association’s most advanced scientific initiatives. To increase knowledge about prevention and risk reduction, she is a member of the executive team of the US Study to Protect Brain Health Through Lifestyle Intervention to Reduce Risk (US POINTER). Dr. Snyder is working with other world leaders on the Association’s International Cohort Study of Chronic Neurological Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 to better understand COVID’s impact on the brain, including factors that may contribute to Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. She is also an investigator on a research team developing the Alzheimer’s Network for Treatment and Diagnostics (ALZ-NET), an initiative to understand FDA-approved new Alzheimer’s therapies.
Dr. Snyder is chairman of the Defense Department’s congressionally directed Alzheimer’s disease medical research programs. She also serves on the American Heart Association Research Committee and is a past chair of the Board of Directors of the Health Research Alliance.
Dr. An expert in the field, Snyder has been featured in numerous TV interviews and print and online news articles, including The New York Times, The Washington Post And The Wall Street Journal.
She has a Ph.D. in molecular biology from Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine and a bachelor’s degree in biology and religious studies from the University of Virginia.