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About

About CARD

Stimulating and Accelerating Alzheimer's and Related Dementias Research at NIH

NIH National Institutes of Health Center for Alzheimer's and Related Dementias

Through NIH's Center for Alzheimer's and Related Dementias (CARD), researchers work across scientific domains and disease boundaries to bridge basic, preclinical, and clinical research with the goal of accelerating translational research on these devastating diseases.

Mission and Philosophy

CARD is a collaborative initiative of the National Institute on Aging and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke that supports basic, translational, and clinical research on Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. CARD’s central mission is to initiate, stimulate, accelerate, and support research that will lead to the development of improved treatments and preventions for these diseases.

Our vision is to advance Alzheimer’s and related dementias research through a data-driven and collaborative approach that emphasizes robust, replicable findings and cooperative progress over individual success. CARD scientists engage and collaborate with researchers in government, academia, and industry to create foundational resources and expertise that add broad value to the Alzheimer’s and related dementias field. We work across scientific domains and disease boundaries to bridge basic, preclinical, and clinical research with the goal of accelerating translational research on these devastating diseases.

Our scientific themes include:

  • Molecular pathogenesis anchored in genetics
  • Disease subtyping, prediction, and progression
  • De-risking of Alzheimer's and related dementias therapeutic targets
  • Precision therapeutics

Our structural priorities include:

  • Diversity in research and researchers
  • Democratization of data
  • Transparency and reproducibility
  • Collaboration and cooperation
  • Foundational resource generation
  • Spanning the translational divide

Oversight and Leadership

CARD is overseen by the center director, who provides scientific and administrative oversight to create and implement the long-term vision. CARD is situated within the Intramural Research Program of NIA and the director reports to NIA and NINDS leadership. 

CARD Investigators

CARD investigators work on critical research projects or initiatives relevant to the CARD mission at the Roy Blunt Center for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias. These can be intramural investigators with a secondary or temporary appointment at CARD, or extramural or industry scientists with a visiting appointment at CARD. 

Alzheimer and Related Dementias Independent Research Scholars

Alzheimer and Related Dementias Independent Research Scholars (ARDIS) are early-stage research fellows with term-limited appointments at CARD. Fellows apply for the CARD ARDIS Program within the first 1 to 4 years of their postdoctoral fellowship and focus on Alzheimer’s and related dementias themes aligned with the CARD mission.

Expert Groups

CARD Expert Groups are collaboration-oriented cores and facilities that provide expertise to CARD investigators through their resources and skills. These groups assist in the execution of projects and compliment the skill set of CARD investigators.