News in Brief: UVA Alzheimer’s Discovery Needs More Support To Advance in Contest

March 23, 2023
News in Brief

A UVA Health discovery that could help us better treat Alzheimer’s disease has fought its way to the Elite 8 in STAT Madness, an online competition sponsored by a health news website. Styled like a bracket in the NCAA Tournament, voters determine what breakthrough will be crowned 2022’s top biomedical advancement.

The discovery from UVA’s John Lukens and his team revealed a molecule in the brain responsible for orchestrating the immune system’s responses to Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis. This could let doctors supercharge the body’s ability to fight those and other devasting neurological diseases.

Portrait of John Lukens
UVA researcher John Lukens heads a team working to better treat Alzheimer’s, and the discovery is moving ahead in a contest to name 2022’s biggest biomedical breakthrough. (Photo by Dan Addison, University Communications)

UVA fans can sign up and support the discovery by voting once per day.

 STAT Madness is sponsored each year by the prominent STAT health news site to increase awareness of biomedical research and its importance in the battle against disease and for improving human health and longevity.

Media Contact

Josh Barney

UVA Health