Behind the Blue: Sanders-Brown Director Linda Van Eldik Looks to the Future of Alzheimer's Research

Alzheimer's disease wreaks emotional havoc on patients, who are robbed of their memories, their dignity, and their lives. It’s financially devastating as well: care for Alzheimer's patients is predicted to top $1 trillion by about the time children born today are having children of their own.

More than 70,000 Kentuckians are living with Alzheimer's disease, which likely means that you know someone whose life has been touched — directly or indirectly — by dementia. And since that number is expected to rise to more than 85,000 in the next five years or so, Alzheimer's will likely hit closer to home for many of us.

But the Sanders-Brown Center on Aging is doggedly pursuing answers to unlock the "how" and "why" dementia occurs with the goal of a treatment by 2050. They are world leaders in dementia research, and research funding for Sanders-Brown has almost tripled in the past 5 years.

In this episode of "Behind the Blue," Sanders-Brown director Linda Van Eldik talks about the center's involvement in some of the most important discoveries in the history of Alzheimer's research and what they are doing now to advance the science.

Become a subscriber to receive new episodes of “Behind the Blue” each week. UK’s latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists and writers will be featured, along with the most important news impacting the university.

For questions or comments about this or any other episode of “Behind the Blue,” email BehindTheBlue@uky.edu or tweet your question with #BehindTheBlue.