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Mission
The mission of the Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research (CNDR) is to promote and conduct multidisciplinary clinical and basic research to increase the understanding of the causes and mechanisms leading to brain dysfunction and degeneration in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), Lewy body dementia (LBD), Frontotemporal degeneration (FTD), Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Primary lateral sclerosis (PLS), Motor neuron disease (MND), and related disorders that occur increasingly with advancing age. Implicit in the mission of the CNDR are two overarching goals: 1.) Find better ways to cure and treat these disorders, 2. Provide training to the next generation of scientists.
“My vision for CNDR is to create a world with effective interventions to prevent and cure aging-related neurodegenerative diseases.” – Eddie Lee, MD, PhD, Director of CNDR
John Q. Trojanowski, MD, PhD | 1946 - 2022
In loving memory of John Q. Trojanowski, MD, PhD
Latest Research
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Predicting progression from mild cognitive impairment to dementia with baseline neuropsychological test scores
Saturday, August 8, 2026
BackgroundAlthough neuropsychological scores have predicted progression from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to dementia, past work has limitations, including small samples, limited batteries, and research cohorts.ObjectiveThis study sought to identify which baseline cognitive scores predicted progression in clinical patients with MCI followed over 1.5 years.Methods243 individuals clinically diagnosed with MCI at a baseline visit completed neuropsychological testing at baseline and were followed...
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Activated microglial phenotypes in the hippocampal CA2 subfield are implicated in Lewy body disease progression
Saturday, August 8, 2026
Histopathologic staging models of neuronal α-synuclein pathology (n-asyn) in Lewy body disease (LBD) seldom evaluate brain regions with direct synaptic connectivity to model the role of microglial processes. We address this gap by testing the hypothesis that, within the well-defined synaptic connectivity of the intrahippocampal circuit, n-asyn is associated with activated microglial phenotypes. We selected a cohort of autopsy-confirmed LBD patients and minimal age-related copathologies (n = 62)...
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Meditation and breathwork on anxiety in Parkinson's disease: A pilot randomized controlled trial
Friday, August 7, 2026
BackgroundAnxiety and other non-motor symptoms can greatly diminish quality of life in people with Parkinson's Disease (PD). Yet, few randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have assessed accessible, non-pharmacological mental health treatments for people with PD.ObjectiveTo assess the feasibility and impact of brief, remotely-delivered meditation and breathwork on neuropsychiatric symptoms in people with PD.MethodsIn this 18-week RCT, intervention participants attended weekly webinars for six...