About the Pilot Program

The ADACC Network Pilot Award Program supports innovative, interdisciplinary research aimed at improving the diagnosis and care of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) among older adults with multiple chronic conditions (MCCs). The program funds investigators exploring key challenges in biomarker use, including diagnostic accuracy, implementation in real-world clinical settings, and the impact of comorbidities on interpretation. Pilot projects contribute to advancing evidence-based strategies and addressing critical knowledge gaps in ADRD diagnosis.

2026 Pilot Awardees

Michael Devinney, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology, Duke University School of Medicine

Project Title: The Relationship of Plasma P-Tau 217 With Alzheimer’s Disease Neuropathology and Long-Term Cognitive Impairment in Older Surgical and Critically Ill Patients With Multiple Chronic Conditions

Samer Gawrieh, MD

Professor of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine

Project Title: Impact of Metabolic Dysfunction Associated Steatotic Liver Disease on the Diagnostic Accuracy of Blood-Based Alzheimer’s Disease Biomarkers

2025 Pilot Awardees

Benjamin Brett, PhD

Associate Professor, Medical College of Wisconsin

Project Title: Blood-Based and Neuroimaging Biomarkers of Alzheimer’s Disease in Repetitive Neurotrauma and Multiple Chronic Conditions

Katheryn Cousins-Gershenson, PhD

Research Assistant Professor, University of Pennsylvania

Project Title: Plasma Biomarkers to Detect Alzheimer’s Disease in People with Liver Disease and Other Morbidities

2024 Pilot Awardees

Katherine T. Mills, PhD, MSPH

Professor, Tulane University

Project Title: Blood-Based Biomarkers for Alzheimer’s Disease in Primary Care Settings Serving Low-Income Hypertensive Patients in the Deep South

Corey Bolton, PsyD

Assistant Professor, Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Project Title: Examining the Influence of Sociodemographic and Medical Factors on Plasma Biomarker Performance in Diverse Communities

Ricardo M. Osorio Suarez, MD

Associate Professor, NYU Grossman School of Medicine

Project Title: The Bariatric and Alzheimer's Disease Biomarker (BARIAD) Study

2023 Pilot Awardees

Kerry Sheets, MD

Assistant Professor, University of Minnesota; Geriatrician, Hennepin Healthcare

Project Title: Comparing the Effects of Multiple Chronic Conditions on Plasma P-Tau and Brain-Derived Tau Levels

Sophia Wang, MD, MSc

Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry, Indiana University

Project Title: Impact of Multiple Chronic Conditions on ADRD Biomarkers in a Real-World Population of Veterans

Jessica Palakshappa, MD, MS

Assistant Professor, Wake Forest University School of Medicine

Project Title: Evaluating ADRD Biomarkers in Older Adults Following Critical Illness