MetLife Foundation Recognizes Scientists for Research in Alzheimer's Disease.

WASHINGTON -- The MetLife Foundation Awards for Medical Research in Alzheimer's Disease were presented in Washington, D.C. today to William E. Klunk, M.D., Ph.D. and Chester A. Mathis, Ph.D., of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine; John C. Morris, M.D., of the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, and Ronald C. Petersen, M.D., Ph.D., of Mayo Clinic. The awards recognized the scientists for their clinical research on early detection and diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). $700,000 was shared by the winners to further work in AD research. Established in 1986, the Awards recognize scientists who have made significant contributions to the understanding and treatment of Alzheimer's disease. At the heart of the program is a belief in the importance of basic research, with an emphasis on providing scientists with an opportunity to liberally pursue ideas.

"Alzheimer's is an issue of national importance. It is also a personal issue for many families, as the disease robs them of the person they once knew," said Robert H. Benmosche, Chairman and CEO of MetLife, Inc. "The impact of Alzheimer's on families, society, and the economy is the reason MetLife is committed to the search for a cure."

Today, 4.5 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease. This number is expected to increase dramatically, as millions in the baby-boom generation approach age 65, which is the age of greatest risk for the disease. The brain disorder strikes an estimated one in ten people aged 65 and older and 50 percent of those 85 or older, and is the eighth leading cause of death in the U.S. Without a cure, the Alzheimer's Association estimates that between 11 million and 16 million Americans will have AD by 2050.

"We look forward to the day when the tragic suffering caused by this disease ends," said Sibyl Jacobson, president, MetLife Foundation. "The scientists we recognize are making progress in early detection of Alzheimer's. We honor them for their many accomplishments and contributions to the understanding of this disease."

The awards program began with a research briefing, where each award recipient discussed his work. The briefing was moderated by Donald L. Price, M.D., Director of the Division of Neuropathology, Director of the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and Professor of Pathology, Neurology & Neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Peter V. Rabins, M.D., MPH, delivered the keynote speech during the luncheon. Dr. Rabins is the Professor and Vice-Chair for Academic Affairs in the Department of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, as well as the co-author of The 36-Hour Day, a guide to families caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's.

About the Award for Medical Research Winners

Drs. Klunk and Mathis have developed experimental non-invasive methods of detecting and creating images of amyloid-beta proteins - plaques that form in the brain tissue of Alzheimer's sufferers - using dyes to make the plaques visible through the use of medical imaging equipment. The ability to see amyloid deposits in living patients will allow researchers to directly measure the effects of anti-amyloid therapies now being developed. Dr. Klunk is Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Director of the Laboratory of Molecular Neuropharmacology at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, and Director of Psychiatry for the University of Pittsburgh Alzheimer's Disease Research Center. Dr. Mathis is Senior Chemist and Co-Director for Neuroscience of the University of Pittsburgh's Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Facility and Professor of Radiology and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Dr. Morris was recognized for his work in developing clinical methods to identify the earliest symptomatic stages of AD, evaluating new drug therapies in the treatment of dementia, and establishing phenotypes for inherited forms of AD and other dementia. Dr. Morris is the Harvey A. and Dorismae Hacker Friedman Distinguished Professor of Neurology, with adjunct appointments as professor in the department of pathology and immunology, and in the program of physical therapy at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, where he also directs the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, the Memory and Aging Project, and the Center for Aging. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Alzheimer's Association and serves on numerous advisory and scientific boards for other organizations.

Dr. Petersen, Director of Mayo Clinic's Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and neurologist to President Ronald Reagan, focuses his research in the area of mild cognitive impairment and predictors of progression to Alzheimer's. Those past the age of 65 with mild cognitive impairment are found to be at an increased risk of developing AD than otherwise healthy individuals the same age. Dr. Petersen is the Cora Kanow Professor of Alzheimer's Disease Research and a professor of neurology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. He has authored more than 250 peer-reviewed articles on memory disorders, aging and AD and has edited three books. He has served on numerous advisory boards for the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology the Alzheimer's Association and the National Institute on Aging.

About MetLife Foundation

MetLife Foundation has supported Alzheimer's disease research and outreach activities for more than 20 years. The Foundation has awarded over $9.5 million in grants through its Awards for Medical Research in Alzheimer's Disease program, and has also provided support to the Alzheimer's Association for initiatives including caregiving videos, resources for the Hispanic community and the Safe Return identification program. Recently, MetLife Foundation was the sponsor of The Forgetting, an Emmy-winning primetime PBS documentary and outreach program on the disease. For information about MetLife Foundation, please visit www.metlife.org

MetLife is the trade name of Metropolitan Life Insurance Company