Good Ventures awarded a grant of $4,247,744 over three years to Brigham and Women’s Hospital to support development of a blood-based diagnostic test for Alzheimer’s disease. Good Ventures, with support from the Open Philanthropy Project, has been investigating how best to fund scientific research that might help reduce the future burden of Alzheimer’s disease. A portion of the funds will be regranted to the Wyss Institute at Harvard University to support the same research.
This research, to be led by Professor David Walt, seeks to develop a blood test for early detection of Alzheimer’s disease before cognitive effects and the associated brain damage can be observed. Though it is currently possible to detect advanced Alzheimer’s using several technically sophisticated methods, the proposed new diagnostic test may allow earlier detection and is expected to be inexpensive enough for routine use.