Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) has been awarded two grants by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) to train graduate students on Alzheimer’s disease (AD) research and commercialization. NIA is one of the National Institutes of Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and is the primary federal agency supporting and conducting AD research.

The first five-year grant of $1,203,935 is to provide continued training for predoctoral students in AD research at the interface of data science, engineering, and life sciences. The NIA T32 training program has already funded more than 20 RPI graduate students since 2017. The T32 trainees will also gain clinical and translational exposure through a subcontract with the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS), led by Fanny Elahi, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of neurology, neuroscience, and pathology, molecular and cell-based medicine at ISMMS. 

The NIA has also awarded RPI $1,257,725 over five years to fund the Rensselaer Alzheimer’s Fellows to Accelerate Entrepreneurship in Life Sciences (RAFAELs) program. This NIA R25 program will train graduate student researchers in AD on the translational process from lab to market. The program will involve classes and a summer bootcamp on commercialization and how to grow startups to achieve financial viability, as well as a mandatory industrial internship for each RAFAELs fellow.

“These programs exemplify RPI’s commitment to interdisciplinary research and training,” said Robert Hull, Ph.D., vice president for research at RPI. “Trainees are provided outstanding support for their research at our Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies (CBIS). Their clinical, research, and translational experience through ISMMS then bridges the gap between theory and practice, resulting in true translational science. Further, our graduate researchers will gain industry training and exposure through RAFAELs. This is our best path forward in producing researchers who work on the front line in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease.”

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, one in nine people aged 65 and older has Alzheimer’s. That’s 6.9 million Americans living with the disease, and millions more who are caring for them. What is already a startling number is projected to grow as our aging population does, and by 2050, 12.7 million Americans aged 65 and older are expected to have Alzheimer’s.

“The future of health care resides at the intersection of medicine and engineering, and business acumen is essential for success,” said Jonathan Dordick, Ph.D., Institute Professor in the Departments of Chemical and Biological Engineering and Biological Sciences, vice president of Strategic Alliances and Translation, and co-director of the NIA R25 program. “RAFAELs will provide training in the commercialization of Alzheimer’s disease research, increasing the potential for discoveries to move from the classroom or laboratory into incubation and acceleration settings. This program will fuel future commercial success while contributing to the care and treatment of those affected by this progressive disease.” 

Chunyu Wang, Ph.D., M.D. is a professor of Biological Sciences, and Chemistry and Chemical Biology at RPI, the director of the NIA T32 training program, and the project leader of RAFAELs. Wang is also affiliated with the Center for Engineering and Precision Medicine (CEPM), which was launched last year in New York City by RPI and ISMMS, and a member of CBIS. Wang has been researching Alzheimer’s disease for almost 20 years, applying nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to study amyloid-b peptide, a molecule found in the amyloid plaque in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients; tau, a protein found in the pathology of neurofibrillary tangle in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients; and for drug discovery in the treatment of the disease. Previous research conducted with the NIA T32 trainees has included some exciting discoveries, such as finding that immune cells’ ability to clear the amyloid beta 42 protein is tied to our circadian cycle.

“I’m thrilled that the NIA T32 training program will continue and will be enhanced with RAFAELs,” said Wang. “It is an exciting time in Alzheimer’s disease research, with rapid advancements and discoveries. The opportunities presented by these grants are highly coveted and will nourish a new generation of AD researchers at RPI, who will make breakthrough discoveries in our understanding of, and treatments for, the disease.”

“The two best components of the NIA training program are being co-advised and required to do an internship,” said T32 trainee Anqesha Murray ’24, who successfully defended her thesis this past July. “Being co-advised is a unique opportunity that enabled me to have guidance and think about solutions to problems outside of my original discipline. Also, participating in an internship allowed me to foster the skills required for alternative career fields, such as science policy and industry." Murray recently started her new position as a science policy fellow in the New York State Senate. Murray was co-advised by Wang and Dordick.

“RPI’s predoctoral students in these programs benefit from a number of unique resources,” said Deepak Vashishth, Ph.D., co-director of CEPM and Yamada Corporation Professor. “In addition to specialized coursework, entrepreneurship training, research opportunities, and mentorship, students leverage CEPM’s leadership in neuroengineering and precision medicine in the treatment of Alzheimer’s, as well as RPI’s Institute for Data Exploration and Applications’ leadership in applying artificial intelligence and machine learning to health care. These programs create future leaders in the field.”   

“Graduate student researchers in Alzheimer’s disease at RPI may enjoy some exceptional opportunities thanks to these programs,” said Dorit Nevo, Ph.D., dean of Graduate Education. “Rigor and reproducibility in research are emphasized, and seminars, symposia, and an annual retreat where they present their research and meet prominent Alzheimer’s disease researchers are all part of the NIA training program. Entrepreneurs will be set up for success thanks to RAFAELs.”