Research supporting detection

Your generosity brought two globally respected dementia researchers to Madison.

Your support enabled us to recruit two world-renowned scientists—Henrik Zetterberg, MD, PhD, and Hartmuth Kolb, PhD—whose groundbreaking work aims to detect Alzheimer’s and related diseases before symptoms appear. 

More than 55 million people worldwide live with dementia, and there is no cure. By the time symptoms surface, brain damage is irreversible. Thanks to you, we are closer than ever to changing that. 

Zetterberg, a Swedish scientist who studies biomarkers, and Kolb, a German-born chemist and imaging technology expert, have joined our faculty to pursue a powerful idea: identifying biomarkers in blood or spinal fluid that reveal a person’s risk for Alzheimer’s and other dementias, such as Lewy Body and Parkinson’s disease. 

Their research builds on the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention (WRAP), which has collected tens of thousands of samples over 20 years—an unmatched resource. These samples will help pinpoint proteins driving dementia, paving the way for early intervention. 

If successful, this work could allow doctors to act before memory loss begins, preserving independence and quality of life. 

“Almost every university wanted them,” says Sanjay Asthana, director of the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. “They chose UW–Madison because of what we’ve built together.” 

Your generosity isn’t just funding research—it’s giving families hope. 

Share Your Story

Did UW Health, the UW School of Medicine and Public Health, or the Carbone Cancer Center have a life-changing impact on you or someone you love? Be part of the Wisconsin Medicine story by inspiring others with your story. Share it now.