Cypriot neurologist and researcher Dr Andreas Charidimou of Boston University has secured brain research funding worth $9 million alongside Professor Marcel Verbeek of Radboud University Medical Center in the Netherlands.
According to an announcement by Boston University, the funding was awarded through the highly competitive International Networks of Excellence programme of the Leducq Foundation.
The grant will support a five-year international research initiative called TRAFFIC – Translational Framework for Innovation in Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy.
Research network to study brain disease
The international network will be coordinated by Boston University in the United States and Radboud University Medical Center in the Netherlands, with research teams from several countries participating.
The project focuses on cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), a common small-vessel brain disease affecting older adults.
CAA is characterised by the build-up of amyloid-beta protein in blood vessel walls in the brain and is considered a significant cause of haemorrhagic stroke. The condition has also been associated with cognitive decline and dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.
Improving diagnosis and future treatments
Despite its prevalence, researchers say CAA remains difficult to diagnose at an early stage and targeted treatments are still lacking.
The TRAFFIC network aims to improve understanding of the disease mechanisms, develop new biomarkers and contribute to earlier and more accurate diagnosis.
The research team will combine advanced brain imaging techniques, molecular biomarkers, experimental models and clinical data from patients worldwide.
Charidimou highlights research goals
“The CAA is one of the most common pathologies affecting the ageing brain, yet important questions remain unanswered regarding how it develops and progresses,” Dr Charidimou said.
“Through TRAFFIC, we are bringing together scientists with complementary expertise in clinical neurology, molecular biology and experimental research, aiming to create the foundations for better diagnosis, future treatments and training for the next generation of researchers in this field,” he added.
International collaboration across leading institutions
The network includes leading researchers from the United States, the Netherlands, Spain and Germany.
Participating institutions include Boston University, Radboud University Medical Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, the Vall d’Hebron Research Institute, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg and the University of Rhode Island.
The announcement said the recognition highlights the growing international presence of Cypriot scientists at the forefront of medical research, particularly in areas directly linked to ageing, stroke and dementia.
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