Thirty Alzheimer’s disease research projects will be funded with $4.8 million in funding announced Monday by Florida Gov. Rick Scott and the state Department of Health, and some of the efforts will involve assisted living communities.
“Alzheimer’s is a heartbreaking disease, and this funding will support research programs across the state in their efforts to find new treatments and preventions that give hope to finding a cure,” Scott said.
More than 540,000 residents of the Sunshine State have Alzheimer’s disease, and the number is expected to increase by more than 30% in the next few years, according to Florida Department of Elder Affairs Secretary Jeff Bragg.
Among the institutions receiving the grants, which are funded through the Ed and Ethel Moore Alzheimer’s Disease Research Program:
- The University of South Florida, where investigators received approximately $522,000, almost half of which will be used to research “Palliative Care Education in Assisted Living for Care Providers of Residents with Dementia.”
- The University of West Florida, which was awarded almost $95,000 to study the “Impact of Adapted Dance on Mood and Physical Function among Alzheimer’s Disease Assisted Living Residents.”
- Florida Atlantic University, where researchers received more than $1.1 million.
- The University of Florida, where investigators were awarded approximately $1.4 million.
- The University of Miami, where researchers received approximately $829,000.
- The Mayo Clinic, where investigators were awarded approximately $420,000.
- Mount Sinai Medical Center, which received $237,500.
- Florida International University, where researchers were awarded approximately $95,000.
- The University of Central Florida, where investigators received approximately $95,000.
The research grants were awarded through a peer-reviewed, competitive process based on recommendations by the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Grant Advisory Board. Researchers at any university or research institute in Florida were eligible to apply.
