We are pleased to announce that CADRC REC Scholar, Carol Chan, MD, has been awarded a 3-year Clinician Scientist Research Development Grant from the Cleveland Clinic Neurological Institute.

Dr. Chan serves as a geriatric psychiatrist at the Cleveland Clinic Center for Brain Health and is an Assistant Professor at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine. Her newly funded research, which will run from 2026 through 2029, focuses on improving the diagnostic accuracy of blood-based biomarkers for mixed dementias.

The Complexity of Mixed Dementia

Mixed dementia occurs when brain changes from more than one type of dementia exist simultaneously. The most common combination is Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia, making it the most frequent form of dementia found in older adults today.

While current blood-based biomarkers are effective at identifying brain changes related to Alzheimer’s disease, a significant clinical challenge remains:

• The Diagnostic Gap: Existing tests do not differentiate well between "pure" Alzheimer’s and mixed dementias.
• Clinical Impact: Misdiagnosis can lead to negative patient outcomes, including the implementation of inappropriate or ineffective treatments.

Research Goals and Methodology

Working at the Cleveland Clinic, Dr. Chan will utilize data collected by the Cleveland Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (CADRC) to address these challenges.

The project will explore how blood-based biomarkers can be refined to more efficiently identify mixed dementias. By improving these diagnostic tools, the research aims to ensure patients receive more accurate diagnoses and, consequently, more appropriate care strategies.