Dear Friends,
As we continue the Salk Institute’s ‘Year of Healthy Aging,’ this issue focuses on Alzheimer’s disease, a devastating condition that directly affects nearly 7 million people in the United States. In addition, Alzheimer’s indirectly affects 11 million people who provide unpaid care for loved ones with dementia—people like Annie Alessio, who you’ll read about in the feature piece. Annie’s mother, Carol, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s when Annie was in college. Fourteen years later, after trying every therapeutic approach, Annie lost her mother to the disease.
Alzheimer’s disease is heartbreaking and frustrating for many families. What causes it? Why do some people experience dementia while others don’t? Why do some respond better to certain treatments than others?
We need more answers. To address this, Salk’s molecular biologists, neuroscientists, immunologists, and other experts are collaborating to investigate a range of factors—genetic, cellular, metabolic, and environmental—and to determine how these factors intersect and contribute to the onset and progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Salk scientists are moving beyond the traditional viewpoints to develop a more comprehensive understanding of its underlying mechanisms and identify potential
therapeutic targets.
This multidisciplinary approach wouldn’t be possible without our many supporters. Your generosity empowers our researchers to pursue innovative avenues of inquiry, bringing us closer to a future in which Alzheimer’s and other diseases can be mitigated or eradicated.
In addition to introducing you to many of the faculty members, trainees, and staff members who contribute to our high-impact science, this issue pays tribute to Joan Jacobs, one of the Salk Institute’s greatest supporters and one of San Diego’s most generous philanthropists. Joan’s passing last May was a huge loss to our community, but her legacy will last for generations.
We appreciate your confidence in our mission, and we are grateful for your partnership. Please enjoy this issue of Inside Salk magazine.
Warmest regards,
Gerald Joyce
Salk Institute President
