UCSD Shiley-Marcos Alzheimer's Disease Research Center- November 2026
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November 2026
This season, we’re taking a moment to reflect on what we’re most grateful for: you.
Whether you give your time, share your talents, make a donation, participate in research, or simply help spread awareness, you are part of something bigger. You are helping create a future where Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias no longer have the same impact on individuals, families, and communities.
Philanthropy comes from the Greek words meaning “love of humanity.” It is the commitment to improving the lives of others through our time, talents, resources, and generosity. More than simply responding to an immediate need, philanthropy can help create lasting solutions to the challenges facing our communities.
Here at the Shiley-Marcos Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, your generosity helps make progress possible. From supporting research to connecting families with resources and advancing education and awareness, every contribution helps us move closer to a future without Alzheimer’s.
This Thanksgiving, we are thankful to have you with us as part of the solution.
Your gift supports our continued efforts to advance Alzheimer’s research, education, and community support. Consider making a contribution this holiday season and helping us build a healthier future for generations to come.
Shiley-Marcos Alzheimer's Disease Research Center Fund: E2140
Quality of Life Program Support Fund: RN120
The Shiley-Marcos ADRC is committed to 'giving back' to our generous research participants. Participants have always been given the option to receive annual results for the neuropsychological testing and consensus derived research diagnosis. We also share a report of the autopsy findings with the designated family members. We are now IRB approved to share certain biomarker results including amyloid imaging PET, tau imaging PET, MRI, and CSF.
Please note that these results are not available for procedures completed in the past. Only new procedures completed after participants sign the updated IRB-approved consent form will be eligible for return of results.
Because this is a newly approved process, all longitudinal participants will be asked to sign the most recent version of the consent form at their next on-site visit. A signature from a study partner or caregiver will also be required at that time.
Our study team will be happy to walk you through the process and answer any questions during your visit.
The Shiley-Marcos ADRC is looking for a creative and motivated volunteer to help us share information about brain health, healthy aging, and Alzheimer’s disease research with our community.
We’re looking for someone interested in social media, video editing, and digital storytelling to help create engaging content for our Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and other digital platforms.
What you’ll do:
- Create and edit videos, reels, and educational content
- Help develop engaging social media posts and campaigns
- Create graphics and other digital materials
- Help translate research and brain-health information into accessible content
- Assist with photography, videography, interviews, and community outreach content
- Brainstorm creative ideas to increase community engagement
We’re looking for someone with:
- Experience with video editing and/or social media
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- An eye for design and visual storytelling
- Creativity, reliability, and an interest in health, science, or community engagement
Position Details:
Volunteer • Unpaid • ~10 hours/week • Flexible schedule • Hybrid/Remote
Students, recent graduates, and individuals looking to build their creative portfolio are encouraged to apply. A laptop can be provided during the project period.
Interested? Send your resume and samples of your work (videos, social media, graphics, photography, or portfolio) to [email protected]
This season of gratitude, we’re giving thanks for the everyday heroes who have channeled their grit and gifts to support the SMADRC. Through their generosity, they are helping advance research and make a difference for individuals and families affected by Alzheimer’s disease.
We’re grateful to have you as part of our community. Join these everyday heroes in making a difference by learning more about how you can give to the SMADRC here.
Save the Date!
San Diego Museum of Art
Thursday, November 19, 2026
2:00 pm- 3:00 pm
Free Registration Required
- Facilitators trained by the UCSD Shiley-Marcos Alzheimer's and Dementia Research Center
- No obligation to participate in research
- No cost to participate
From Research to Hope: Why Alzheimer's Research Matters
Every breakthrough begins with a question
Alzheimer’s research helps scientists better understand how the disease develops, how it affects the brain, and how we can improve detection, treatment, and prevention. Research also depends on people who are willing to participate—whether through clinical trials, observational studies, or other forms of research.
The National Institute on Aging (NIA) offers a variety of resources to help you learn more about Alzheimer’s research and how scientific discoveries are helping advance the field.
What is Alzheimer’s disease?
Learn about Alzheimer’s symptoms, how the disease changes the brain, and what researchers currently know about the disease.
→ Read more from the National Institute on Aging
Interested in participating in research?
Learn how clinical trials and research studies work, why volunteers are important to scientific discovery, and how to find studies in your area.
→ Learn about participating in Alzheimer’s research
Looking for a clinical trial or study?
Explore the SMADRC's clinical trial resources and search for Alzheimer's and related dementia studies, including opportunities for people with dementia, caregivers, and healthy volunteers.
→ Explore the SMADRC's observational trials
→ Explore the SMADRC's clinical trials
Want to see what researchers are working on right now?
NIA maintains information on active Alzheimer's and related dementia clinical trials and studies, covering areas such as drug development, diagnostics, disease processes, and caregiving.
→ Explore NIA-funded research
Explore this month’s Research Insight below, or visit Dr. Bevins’ LinkedIn for more of her latest perspectives.
A new study published in Nature Medicine is providing new insight into the biological changes that occur during menopause—and how they may relate to brain aging and Alzheimer’s disease.
In her latest post, Dr. Bevins explores how researchers identified changes in proteins related to inflammation, metabolism, synaptic function, and Alzheimer’s-related pathways in women undergoing the menopause transition. She also discusses how these molecular changes were associated with cognitive outcomes and later Alzheimer’s risk.
Read Dr. Bevins’ full post to learn more about why menopause may be an important window for understanding women’s brain health—and what this research does, and does not, tell us about Alzheimer’s disease.
While the loss of NMDA receptors (NMDARs) is associated with Alzheimer’s disease(AD) severity, the effect of sex or the relationship between regional NMDAR density andantemortem cognitive status across the AD spectrum has not been examined. We performedquantitative in vitro autoradiography of the hippocampus, entorhinal cortex (EC), andparietal cortex using NMDAR and tau radioligands.
Submit Your Questions here.
Join our our research registry to be contacted about future studies that may be a fit for you!
FLUX-Assessing Novel Biomarkers for Cognitive Fluctuations in DLB & AD
Imaging blood-brain barrier permeability with anti-amyloid immunotherapy for Alzheimer’s disease
COMPASS
TREAD Eating Times for Alzheimer's Disease
Join the TREAD clinical study exploring how meal timing may impact symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. If you’re 60+ with a diagnosis of cognitive impairment or a loved one supporting them you may be eligible.
3 clinic visits over 6 months No experimental drugs Compensation up to $225Take the next step toward making a difference. Check your eligibility today!
Participants in the Shiley-Marcos Alzheimer’s Disease Cognitive Aging Longitudinal Study will be invited to co-enroll in the newest neuroimaging opportunity, CLARiTI.
We are joining centers around the nation to conduct a brain imaging research study to identify how Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias develop.
We use positron emission tomography (PET) to image amyloid plaques and tau tangles in the brain.
The goal is to determine how far in advance of symptoms Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias begin. We anticipate that this study will improve our ability to diagnose these diseases.
Study Parts May Include:
- Amyloid PET scan
- Tau PET scan
- MRI scan
- Blood draw
We will ask you to participate in scans and other measures at two visit time points spaced two years apart.
Pre-registration is required for all programs. There are 3 options to pre-register:
- Contact Tracey Truscott, LCSW at [email protected]
- Email the SMADRC at [email protected]
- Call 858-822-4800
Registration is required.
Click here to read a San Diego Union Tribune article about the program.
In this 6-session multi-sensorial workshop, participants and their care-partners will create an individualized music playlist, recount the memories it inspires, and create a memory book. This program is offered through a partnership between Villa Musica and the Shiley-Marcos Alzheimer's Disease Research Center.
You are not alone; we are here for you!
Join one of our support groups for persons living with memory disorders or their care partners. Hybrid participation options available.
Additional Community Resources
Compiled by Tracey Truscott LCSW and Susan Shepherd, LCSW, the Shiley-Marcos ADRC provides patient and family resources to consolidate and synthesize a great deal of information that can otherwise feel fragmented and overwhelming. [Community Resources]
If you would be interested in learning how you can make an impact for the SMADRC, please visit or contact us at [email protected]
Real Estate
Many people own real estate that no longer serves a purpose for them and is becoming a burden to manage. Did you know that you can make a gift of unneeded property to UC San Diego? When you invest in UC San Diego and the Shiley-Marcos Alzheimer’s Research Center (SMADRC) through a gift of real estate, you create opportunities for groundbreaking research to take place, and you help foster the life-altering collaborations UC San Diego is known for. Our complimentary guide to gifting real estate outlines the most popular ways to transform a piece of property into a pragmatic opportunity. Click the link above or visit [email protected] for more information. To answer any of your estate planning questions, please contact Elise Wald, Executive Director of the UC San Diego Office of Gift Planning, at [email protected] or 858-761-8457.
