TGen's social media study on platform.org is a finalist for the prestigious international social-impact award
San Diego, May 3, 2014 – The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) has been named a finalist for the prestigious CLASSY Awards, a social impact celebration recognising social progress champions. TGen's groundbreaking work in understanding Alzheimer's disease through its platform.org project has caught the attention of the social sector, with the awards ceremony taking place at the Marriott Marquis in San Diego.
The CLASSY Awards, the largest social impact awards ceremony in the United States, bring together top leaders from the social sector to collaborate on solving social problems. This year, TGen's innovative social-media investigation of Alzheimer's disease has been recognised as a significant contribution to social progress.
TGen's platform.org aims to better understand learning and memory processes in the brain, with the ultimate goal of developing a better-informed cure for Alzheimer's. The project, led by an Associate Professor in TGen's Neurogenomics Division, uses a combination of statistical analysis and genetic testing to identify factors associated with brain performance from the data gathered.
Alzheimer's disease is a socioeconomic epidemic, with more than 5 million Americans living with the disease, making it the 6th leading cause of death in the U.S. The disease costs the nation over $200 billion annually to treat.
TGen's platform.org project has already seen nearly 28,000 volunteers take part in the test, with a goal of gathering results from as many as 1 million participants. This extensive data collection is crucial in TGen's quest to unravel the genetic components of Alzheimer's disease.
Other initiatives and research projects related to Alzheimer's disease are also underway. For instance, a study at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center aims to uncover how neuroinflammation contributes to Alzheimer's disease and develop targeted interventions using advanced brain-machine interfaces and genetic tools. Additionally, the FDA has cleared the first blood test for diagnosing Alzheimer's disease, marking significant progress in biomarker research.
For more information about TGen, visit www.tgen.org. Steve Yozwiak, TGen Senior Science Writer, can be reached at 602-343-8704 or [email protected].
TGen is dedicated to conducting groundbreaking research with life-changing results, focusing on cancer, neurological disorders, and diabetes. The institute collaborates with scientists and medical professionals worldwide to contribute significantly to patient care.
The winners for the CLASSY Awards will be determined by the CLASSY Leadership Council on Health, a panel of experts representing various fields and sectors. The awards ceremony will culminate in the recognition and celebration of individuals and organisations making significant contributions to social progress.
- The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is leveraging neurogenomics in its groundbreaking work on medical-conditions such as Alzheimer's disease through its platform.org project, which is a significant contribution to health-and-wellness.
- Recognizing the importance of understanding Alzheimer's disease, TGen's collaborative study involves 28,000 voluntary participants so far, aspiring to gather data from up to 1 million participants to unravel the genetic components of the disease.
- The social impact celebration, the CLASSY Awards, is honoring TGen for its innovative approach to social-media investigation of Alzheimer's and respecting its meaningful contribution to social progress, like climate-change initiatives and mental-health awareness.
- Data gathered from TGen's platform.org project and other projects are integral to both scientific research in environmental-science domains, like Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center's exploration of neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's disease via advanced brain-machine interfaces and genetic tools, and cutting-edge studies conducted in the field of fitness-and-exercise to improve overall well-being.
