Roy Blunt Center for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias Research
Robust and sustained investment in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias research has enabled the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to make significant progress in the field. To build on that momentum and bring us closer to finding effective treatments and preventions, NIH established the intramural research program Center for Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias (CARD) in 2020. At that time, construction began on a new building that would eventually provide a dedicated home for the CARD program, which was already evolving to provide novel scientific opportunities in dementia research.
In 2022, the Roy Blunt Center for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias Research officially opened its doors on the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland. Named after Senator Roy Blunt, a longtime champion for expanded dementia research, the center is designed to be a beacon for global scientific talent and a catalyst for innovation in the field. Intramural NIH researchers work side-by-side with scientists from around the world to accelerate the translation of scientific findings into real-world applications.
The state-of-the-art 24,000 square foot facility is set on 1.3 acres. The building architecture features laboratories, office space, and conference rooms designed to support close collaboration among a variety of scientific disciplines to drive cutting-edge research, generate crucial resources such as data sharing and new technologies, and train early career investigators.
A collaborative initiative of the NIH National Institute on Aging (NIA) and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), the CARD program is designed to complement efforts of the extramural research community by leveraging the unique resources available on the NIH Campus, including the NIH Clinical Center, to address scientific gaps in dementia research.
Center Dedication
Watch a videocast of the dedication ceremony.
About U.S. Senator Roy Blunt
U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1996 and the U.S. Senate in 2010. Senator Blunt serves as the senior Republican on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, & Related Agencies. In that role, he has worked across the aisle to establish a pattern of significant, sustained funding increases for the National Institutes of Health.
Senator Blunt has led efforts to increase funding for NIH by nearly 50 percent over the past seven years. During this time, Senator Blunt focused much-needed attention and funding on Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, achieving a fivefold increase in funding available for research. In addition to his leadership role on the health appropriations subcommittee, Senator Blunt serves as the Chairman of the Senate Republican Policy Committee and as the top Republican on the Senate Rules Committee. He also serves on the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.
Before serving in Congress, Senator Blunt was a history teacher, a county official, and in 1984 became the first Republican elected as Missouri’s Secretary of State in more than 50 years. Senator Blunt also served four years as the president of Southwest Baptist University, his alma mater, in Bolivar, Missouri. Senator Blunt earned an M.A. in history from Missouri State University.
Senator Blunt is married to Abigail Blunt, a trustee of the Children’s Inn at NIH. He has four children: Matt, Amy, Andy, and Charlie, and six grandchildren: Davis, Ben, Branch, Eva, Allyson, and Brooks.