WOMENAGAINSTALZHEIMER’S ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF 2013 GEOFFREY BEENE GLOBAL NEURODISCOVERY CHALLENGE

National Women’s Network Will Drive Research to Target Male/Female Differences in Alzheimer’s

WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 30, 2013)—WomenAgainstAlzheimer’s joined the Geoffrey Beene Foundation Alzheimer’s Initiative in today’s launch of the 2013 Geoffrey Beene Global NeuroDiscovery Challenge. This is the first open-source challenge to ask solvers to identify male/female differences in Alzheimer’s. Winning submissions will share up to $100,000 in prize awards.

Trish Vradenburg, WomenAgainstAlzheimer’s Founder and co-founder of USAgainstAlzheimer’s, applauded the challenge:

“The research encouraged by this challenge will fuel our understanding of how Alzheimer’s affects men and women differently. We’re only starting to see what those differences might be, and it’s time to learn more,” said Vradenburg. “WomenAgainstAlzheimer’s is proud to join the Geoffrey Beene Foundation Alzheimer’s Initiative in launching this challenge in support of our research agenda.”

The WomenAgainstAlzheimer’s research agenda includes this focus because recent studies suggest that Alzheimer’s may work differently in men and women. WomenAgainstAlzheimer’s Founders, a national network of women leaders, will promote the challenge with academic and other research institutions in their states to engage next-generation researchers in Alzheimer's research.

Vradenburg added, “The passion and determination of women advocates played a huge part in driving better understanding of sex-based differences in heart disease. We intend to make the same impact with Alzheimer’s.”

Women represent two out of three Americans with Alzheimer’s—and 70% of unpaid caregivers for Alzheimer’s patients. Alzheimer’s deaths rose 68% from 2000 to 2010. It is now the nation’s sixth leading cause of death, and nearly as many women die of Alzheimer’s each year as from breast and ovarian cancers combined.

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WomenAgainstAlzheimer’s is the first national network of women in leadership positions working to speed the pace of research and build real momentum to end Alzheimer’s disease. WomenAgainstAlzheimer’s was launched by USAgainstAlzheimer’s, a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to providing organizations and individuals with the information they need to effectively communicate about Alzheimer's to the general public, policy leaders, and the media. For more information about USAgainstAlzheimer’s, please visit: http://www.usagainstalzheimers.org/. For more information about WomenAgainstAlzheimer’s, please visit http://www.womenagainstalzheimers.org.