On Sept. 8, 2020, researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, led by Ana Maria Cuervo, M.D., Ph.D., co-director of the Institute for Aging Research, announced they have received a five-year, $16 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to determine how autophagy, a cellular recycling process, is related to the development of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. The multidisciplinary team working to untangle this puzzle includes experts in the biology of aging, neurodegeneration, metabolism, immunology, stem cells, drug development, and advanced imaging.

Autophagy is a basic cellular process that digests and recycles faulty or discarded organelles, proteins, and other material in order to keep cells functioning well. Previous research by Dr. Cuervo found that autophagy slows with age, compromising the effectiveness of this cellular waste management system and leading to compromised cellular function and disease.

Autophagy is a basic cellular process that digests and recycles faulty or discarded organelles, proteins, and other material in order to keep cells functioning well. Previous research by Dr. Cuervo found that autophagy slows with age, compromising the effectiveness of this cellular waste management system and leading to compromised cellular function and disease.