Michael Weiner

Dr. Weiner has been doing research for over 50 years and is the Principal Investigator of the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, aimed at validating biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease. He also launched BrainHealthRegistry.org, to accelerate the development of effective treatments for brain diseases. His overall research goals are to participate in the development of effective treatments and methods for the early detection of Alzheimer's disease and other brain disorders. In 1980, Dr. Weiner was one of the first investigators to use nuclear magnetic resonance to investigate the metabolism of organs inside a living animal. This technique subsequently became magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). In 1988, his group used MRS to show that the amino acid, N-acetyl aspartate (NAA), a marker of healthy nerve cells, is reduced in the epileptic focus in the brain. This marker is now used to help identify the epileptic focus prior to surgery in epilepsy patients.

In 2004, Dr. Weiner's group reported that reduced NAA predicts the development of Alzheimer's disease in mildly impaired elderly subjects. They have also demonstrated that brain blood flow is reduced in Alzheimer's disease and in patients with mild impairment. Dr. Weiner has over 800 published articles. In 2006, Dr. Weiner received the William S. Middleton Award, the highest scientific honor bestowed by the Department of Veterans Affairs. In 2010, he was named one of the "Rock Stars of Science". He also received the Gold Medal of Paul Sabatier University and the City of Toulouse, France. In 2011, he received the Ronald and Nancy Reagan Research Award from the Alzheimer's Association. In 2012, he received the Potamkin Award from the American Academy of Neurology and the American Brain Foundation.