@abfbrain.bsky.social
We bring researchers and donors together to cure brain disease. #CureOneCureMany hootbio.com/abf
Check out this past webinar! Watch Cure One, Cure Many: Connections Between Brain Diseases on YouTube now.
The American Brain Foundation is driven by a unique philosophy we call Cure One, Cure Many. If #research leads to a #cure is found for one disease, it could directly lead to cures for others. Watch this free, previously recorded webinar to learn more: buff.ly/Ds1hzJ5
07.02.2026 18:00 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Image: A woman taking a video call at her desk. Text: Join our team! We have an open role as a Director of Finance and Operations. Apply at americanbrainfoundation.org/careers.
The American Brain Foundation is seeking qualified candidates to apply for a Director of Finance and Operations role. This senior leadership position will focus on financial management, operations, human resources, IT, and grant administration functions. 💼 To apply: buff.ly/ROw0BEe
06.02.2026 21:00 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (#ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (#FTD) have many things in common. Research on one disease often leads to relevant data that could help treat or cure others. #CureOneCureMany
05.02.2026 20:02 — 👍 1 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
This week’s blog explores #neuroplasticity, the mechanism the brain uses to adapt and heal from damage, whether from concussion, traumatic brain injury (TBI), stroke, infection, or other disease.
📰 Read more buff.ly/bsoQmUX ⬇️
A photograph of American Brain Foundation Gala co-hosts Adam Sansiveri and Sean Sansiveri on the gala stage.
A photograph of American Brain Foundation Gala emcee Christopher Hanke.
A photograph of the American Brain Foundation Gala Brilliance & Breakthroughs neon sign.
See you in September! Last fall, Nashville helped turn our inaugural gala into an extraordinary night—raising nearly $1.5 million, honoring inspiring advocates, and proving the power of this community to advance brain research. We’re excited to announce that we’ll be back in September, and can’t wait to gather again for an evening of purpose, connection, and impact. The American Brain Foundation Gala will be back in Nashville at the Four Seasons Hotel on Saturday, September 12, 2026.
We are honored to share that our 2025 Nashville #Gala won three #Nfocus Magazine Best Parties 2025 Readers’ Choice Awards:
🏆 Best Co-Chairs
🏆 Best Emcee
🥈 Best New or Reimagined Event
Thank you to everyone who helped make our inaugural gala so meaningful and helped raise nearly $1.5M for research.
Research Discovery: Ozempic and related drugs for treating type-2 diabetes have been found to be ineffective at slowing Alzheimer’s progression.
Diseases Studied: Alzheimer’s disease.
Key Findings: Because scientists knew that Ozempic and related drugs have some positive effects on cognition and can cross the blood–brain barrier to reach regions that control memory, it was hypothesized that the drugs could slow Alzheimer’s. Unfortunately, in trials, this proved to have no effect.
What’s Next? Scientists theorize that the medication was not effective at reaching the brain, due to being administered in pill form rather than injection, and because the molecules that were too large to penetrate the blood–brain barrier. Future studies might look at whether these drugs could play a role in dementia prevention, but not treatment.
The @nytimes.com recently reported on research to see if diabetes drug #Ozempic is effective at treating #Alzheimers disease. Unfortunately, it was unable to slow Alzheimer’s progression. #DementiaResearch
02.02.2026 16:03 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Leadership Spotlight: New Board Member. Richard M. Ransohoff, MD is a Venture Partner at Third Rock Ventures, where he helps build new companies focused on serious unmet needs in neurology, immunology, and neuropsychiatry. He is a scientific co-founder of Abata Therapeutics and helped launch Trace Neuroscience. A former Cleveland Clinic neurologist and founder of the Neuroinflammation Research Center, he is a global leader in neuroimmunology with more than 460 published scientific articles and numerous honors for his impact on research and patient care.
Leadership Spotlight: Please welcome our new board member, Dr. Richard M. Ransohoff.
30.01.2026 21:02 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Leadership Spotlight: New Board Member. Please welcome Bruce Kahne, Global General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer, and Senior Managing Director at EnTrust Global to the American Brain Foundation Board of Directors. Bruce Kahne oversees legal and compliance operations across the firm’s global offices. He also serves on EnTrust’s Board of Managers and key committees, bringing decades of experience in investment management and governance.
Leadership Spotlight: Please welcome our new board member, Dr. Richard M. Ransohoff.
30.01.2026 17:03 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
This week’s blog looks at #GeneTherapy and discusses how this approach offers hope for treating inherited genetic brain disorders, including adrenoleukodystrophy (#ALD), Duchene muscular dystrophy (#DMD), and spinal muscular atrophy (#SMA). #GeneticDisease
📰 buff.ly/9J7VWDx ⬇️
Researcher Feature: Danielle Kim, PhD, 2025 Next Generation Research Grantee studying Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD). ALD is a genetic disease that causes harmful fatty substances to build up in the brain. About one-third of boys with ALD develop cerebral ALD, which leads to brain damage. Dr. Kim is studying whether vitamin D can protect the brain by improving blood flow and boosting antioxidants.
🔬 Meet 2025 Next Gen. Research Grant recipient Danielle Kim, PhD. At Stanford University, she is studying whether vitamin D could play a role in treating #ALD, a genetic disorder that most severely affects boys and often proves fatal. #ALDResearch
🧠 Learn more ➡️ buff.ly/bWW6NYS
We're thrilled to announce that actor and advocate Selma Blair has been named Global Ambassador for the American Brain Foundation! She spoke about stepping into this role and raising support for brain research this morning on TODAY with Jenna & Sheinelle.
See the interview buff.ly/Lblwk6W ⬇️
Image: a photograph of a couple laughing as they sit next to each other. Text: Thank you to our donors fueling progress in brain research!
Again, we’d like to give our heartfelt thanks to all donors who contributed to fund #BrainResearch in 2025. Looking forward, your generosity will launch groundbreaking studies on a wide variety of brain diseases, as well as #neuroinflammation. Thank you!
25.01.2026 18:01 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Research Discovery: COVID-19 likely affects neurological health for everyone, even those who fully recover.
Neurological Effects: Changes in brain tissue structure and neurochemical levels.
Key Findings: While previous studies have looked at the lasting symptoms of “long COVID,” MRI scans now reveal that the infection can alter brain structure and chemical makeup, even among those who fully recover. These changes affect the signal intensity of myelin, the protective coating of nerve fibers.
What's Next? Long-term follow-up studies are needed to determine if these effects change over time or affect the brain permanently.
Researchers at the National Centre for Neuroimmunology and Emerging Diseases (NCNED), @griffith.edu.au, studied MRI data indicating that COVID-19 infection can cause long-lasting changes to the microstructure and chemical makeup of the brain, reducing the intensity of myelin signals. #LongCOVID
24.01.2026 18:00 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Join us Wednesday, January 28, at 8pm Eastern/7pm Central for “Staying Sharp as We #Age,” a free live #webinar with Dr. Jasmeer Chhatwal. Learn what happens in the #brain as we age, and if changes are normal or signal #dementia risk. #CognitiveAging
🎟️ Reserve your spot ➡️ buff.ly/qq1hhkp
#BrainDiseases aren’t always easy to see. They affect different people in different ways and to different degrees, and many begin many years before symptoms become apparent. And in many cases, the effects are invisible to others. #InvisibleIllness #InvisibleDisability
22.01.2026 20:03 — 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Schizophrenia is a serious brain disorder that affects how a person thinks, feels, and behaves, often causing hallucinations and delusions. While there is no cure, medication and therapy can help people manage symptoms and live fuller lives.
🧠 Read more about Schizophrenia: buff.ly/y0zS8uB ⬇️
Leadership Spotlight: Outgoing Board Members. Thank you to Jacqueline French, MD, FAAN and Frances Jensen, MD, FACP, FAAN for their leadership on the American Brain Foundation Board of Directors.
We’d like to thank Dr. French and Dr. Jensen for their excellent leadership on our Board of Directors since 2020. They helped guide ABF during an exciting time of growth, and we wish them well in the future. Dr. French remains part of the Research Advisory Committee.
15.01.2026 20:00 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
This week’s blog looks at research studies. These documents record research findings and contribute to our understanding of science, but they can be very complex. We’ve provided some guidance on how to read, interpret, and evaluate research studies here.
📰 Read the blog buff.ly/ApgDjSU ⬇️
Research Discovery: A major study of African American brain tissue has led researchers to identify a gene involved in Alzheimer’s disease.
Diseases Affected: Alzheimer’s disease
Key Findings: In brain tissue from African American individuals with autopsy-confirmed Alzheimer’s disease, scientists noted a 1.5-fold increase in the expression of the gene ADAMTS2, overlapping with similar findings in European American brain tissue.
What’s Next? Genetic expression tied to Alzheimer’s disease often differs and shows only modest overlap between European American and African American populations, but the shared expression of ADAMTS2 points to a biological process and a potential therapeutic target to treat or prevent the disease.
Researchers at @bumedicine.bsky.social launched the largest-ever #Alzheimers study of African American brain tissue. They discovered an increase in the expression of the gene ADAMTS2, which could be a target for future therapies. #Neurogenetics #Dementia
12.01.2026 22:00 — 👍 1 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0#Alzheimers disease and #Parkinsons disease both progress due to toxic accumulations of misfolded proteins within brain cells. Parkinson’s specifically affects cells that produce dopamine, a chemical for relaying signals throughout the nervous system. #Neurodegeration #CureOneCureMany
08.01.2026 20:01 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Thank you to the donors who funded brain research in 2025. Our work is only possible because of donors like you. Thank you!
Thank you to all donors who contributed to fund brain research this past year and helped us meet our challenge goal! This work is only possible because of donors like you. You are making a difference in the fight against brain disease. 💓 #CureOneCureMany
06.01.2026 20:00 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
American Brain Foundation board member Richard Ransohoff, MD, lends his medical and scientific expertise to this article, which discusses a link between #microplastics and increased risk of #MultipleSclerosis #MS #PFOS #PFAS
buff.ly/Tm6a0vE%E2%A...
Research Discovery: Researchers have discovered a biomarker shared by several psychiatric disorders. This is a specific brain network pattern that is observable in noninvasive imaging.
Diseases Affected: Schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and more
Key Findings: The study identified a brain network pattern linked to immune system dysfunction. Patients with scans showing this pattern of activity also had higher blood inflammation ratios (such as neutrophil to lymphocytes) and showed less improvement with conventional treatments.
What’s Next? This study provides a biological indicator for certain types of psychiatric disorders, and in the future, this biomarker could play a role in helping psychiatrists diagnose and properly treat patients.
Researchers have identified a distinct biomarker common to several major psychiatric disorders, detectable using non-invasive brain imaging. This biomarker could enable more precise diagnoses and better match patients with effective therapies. #Schizophrenia #Depression #Bipolar #MentalHealth
05.01.2026 18:00 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Image: Two scientists working together in a lab. Text: Reminder today is the last day to double your donation with our challenge match.
Today is the LAST day to meet our challenge, which will DOUBLE the impact of gifts in any amount. If you haven’t yet contributed, please do so now, so that your gift will fund TWICE as much research. Thank you again, and have a wonderful New Year!
DOUBLE Your Donation ➡️ buff.ly/17cDaX1 💓
Tomorrow is the last day of our challenge, which will DOUBLE the impact of donations in any amount. Your support before tomorrow will fund independent grants, so that brilliant researchers can get us all closer to cures for brain disease. Thank you!
DOUBLE Your Donation: buff.ly/H7GqEj5 💓
Research Discovery: CRISPR can be used to stop seizures in mice (and potentially human children) who have a mutation in one of their two SCN2A genes.
Diseases Affected: SCN2A haploinsufficiency, epilepsy, neurodevelopmental delays, and autism.
Key Findings: CRISPR gene editing was used to increase the protein production of the healthy SCN2A gene, to compensate for the defective gene. This restored normal levels and signaling that stopped the seizures from happening.
What’s Next? While the experiment was successful in mice, the researchers caution that too much of any protein can be dangerous. More work is needed to determine the safety of this type of treatment for humans.
Scientists at UCSF Weil Institute for Neurosciences used CRISPR to stop #seizures in mice. Human children with SCN2A haploinsufficiency often have #epilepsy and neurodevelopmental delays. But boosting the healthy gene’s protein production might be a solution. #EpilepsyResearch
29.12.2025 16:03 — 👍 3 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0There are hundreds of known brain diseases, and once a month, we add another entry to our “Brain Diseases from A to Z” page. Each one features a description, risk factors, symptoms, diagnosis methods, treatment options, and research efforts. Explore here: buff.ly/vda4tDm
27.12.2025 16:02 — 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0Brain diseases can strike without warning, and they can change life substantially. Our best hope is to invest in research to find better treatments, preventions, and cures. You can help keep research moving forward ➡️ buff.ly/mppVYyc 💓
26.12.2025 16:03 — 👍 2 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
In our latest blog, we look back at highlights from the past year. While federal budget cuts to NIH severely hurt the field of brain research, your support for independent research grants has been truly inspiring. Thank you!
📰 Read the blog buff.ly/ttFYUtM ⬇️
Reminder: Thanks to a $50,000 challenge, all donations received before December 31 will make DOULBE the impact! With scientific research under threat due to federal budget cuts, your help is needed to keep discovery on course. Thank you so much!
DOUBLE your impact ➡️ buff.ly/IiJ5sXU 💓
