Project Title: Targeting Synapses in Alzheimer's Dementia and Lewy Body Dementia

Grant Name: 2025 CLEAR Operating Grant

Grant Duration: 2025-2027

Research Lay Summary:

Dr. Ann Marie Craig’s research aims to advance our understanding of some of the earliest changes that occur in the brain for people living with dementia, by studying synapses, the tiny connections that allow brain cells to communicate. In Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia, these connections begin to weaken or disappear long before brain cells die, and this early damage is closely linked to memory loss and cognitive decline.

Using powerful new imaging techniques, Dr. Craig’s team will examine synapses in human brain tissue with unprecedented detail. This research will help identify which parts of the brain’s communication network are most vulnerable in dementia, laying critical groundwork for future treatments that could protect or restore these connections. By focusing directly on changes in the human brain, this work brings us closer to therapies that may one day slow or prevent cognitive decline, offering hope for individuals and families affected by dementia.