PBRC Researcher Joins the Louisiana Alzheimer's Disease Task Force - 06.16.2009

In the 2008 Regular Legislative Session SCR 71 by Sen. Mount, the Louisiana Alzheimer's Disease Task Force was created to study and make recommendations to the Legislature of Louisiana concerning the current and future impact of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias on Louisiana citizens.

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive and fatal neurodegenerative disorder for which there is no known cure. There are more than 100,000 individuals in Louisiana diagnosed with some form of age related dementia, of which more than 85,000 are believed to have Alzheimer’s disease. These figures are expected to continue increasing rapidly as citizens reach the age of 65 and beyond. The financial and emotional costs of caring for these individuals will have catastrophic effects on both private citizens, as well as the multiple state agencies, who must try and cope with the needs of Louisiana’s aging population.

Dr Jeff Keller, Associate Executive Director for Basic Science, with Pennington Biomedical Research Center, has been appointed to the task force and has a strong interest in promoting research and clinical trials for dementia research in the State of Louisiana. Dr. Keller was the co-director of the Sanders-Brown Center in Kentucky, which is one of 29 NIH funded Alzheimer’s disease centers in the United States. In October of 2008, he founded the Institute for Dementia Research and Prevention (IDRP) at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in order to increase the amount of dementia research and clinical trials for dementia in the Louisiana. According to Dr. Keller, “Currently when someone in Louisiana gets the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, they currently have a very limited set of options. Those with the financial means travel to Birmingham or Houston to access the latest in dementia diagnosis and clinical trials, while the other citizens settle for very limited opportunities locally. Everyone in the state should have access to the latest in dementia research, access to early dementia detection, and access to clinical trials for dementia. Under Dr. Keller’s leadership, the IDRP will bring each of these things to Louisiana.”

The twenty-five member task force will report its findings to the Senate and House Committees on Health and Welfare and to the governor. Increasing dementia research and access to clinical trials will be a key component of the report.

Pictured Above: Dr. Jeffrey Keller, Hibernia National Bank/Edward G. Schleider Chair.
Dr. Keller is also the Director of the Institute for Dementia Research & Prevention and Associate Executive Director for Basic Research and the Pennington Biomedical Research Center.

For More Information Contact:
Glen Duncan
225-763-2599
glen.duncan@pbrc.edu
http://www/pbrc.edu