Dr. Alberto Rábano receives one of the Pasqual Maragall Researchers Programme research grants, focused on studying the genetic basis of various brain pathologies.

In its scientific and social commitment to Alzheimer's research, the Pasqual Maragall Foundation awarded yesterday the grants from its Pasqual Maragall Researchers Programme (PMRP) to a project led by Dr. Alberto Rábano, director of the BT-CIEN Tissue Bank / Reina Sofía Foundation.

Dr. Rábano, in collaboration with Dr. Victoria Fernández, head of the Genomics Program at the Ace Alzheimer Center Barcelona, will lead a pioneering study to create the largest neuropathological database in the Iberian Peninsula. This ambitious project will integrate detailed genomic data with an updated neuropathological classification, aiming to refine early diagnostic tools and risk assessment, marking a significant advancement in the study and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

"Focusing on optimizing tools for early detection and risk assessment means staying ahead of the progression of neurodegenerative diseases, a breakthrough that promises to transform both research and treatment of Alzheimer's," says Dr. Rábano.

During the grant award ceremony, Cristina Maragall, president of the Foundation, and Dr. Arcadi Navarro, its director, along with other representatives of the institution, visited the CIEN Tissue Bank (BT-CIEN), led by Dr. Rábano at the Reina Sofia Foundation Alzheimer Center in Madrid. They were accompanied by Dr. Pascual Sánchez Juan, scientific director of CIEN, and Ms. María Ángeles Pérez Muñoz, its managing director.

"At the Pasqual Maragall Foundation, we work tirelessly to improve the quality of life of those affected by this disease. We are extremely pleased to award one of our grants to such a groundbreaking project as Dr. Rábano's at CIEN—an institution aligned with our values, with whom we share both a purpose and a method: only through research can we achieve a future without Alzheimer's," states Arcadi Navarro.

In this second edition, the grant program will allocate a total of 1.6 million euros to support clinical or translational research projects focused on Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases associated with aging.

The awarded project was presented during an outreach session on Alzheimer's prevention, titled "When You Take Care of Yourself, Alzheimer's Takes a Step Back." The event, held at the Fundación Giner de los Ríos in Madrid and led by Dr. Nina Gramunt, a neuropsychologist specializing in training and outreach, was attended by nearly 200 people.