Join us on Earth Day (4/22) 2016 to learn about air pollution and Alzheimer’s with Dr. Caleb Finch of University of Southern California.

New evidence—funded by Cure Alzheimer’s Fund (CAF) and others—has emerged suggesting a strong connection between urban air pollution and Alzheimer’s disease. “These findings underscore the complexity of this disease,” said Cure Alzheimer’s Fund President and CEO Tim Armour, “and emphasize the need for a comprehensive approach to stop it.”

While Alzheimer’s researchers have theorized for a more than a generation that environment and lifestyle play a significant role in the development of Alzheimer’s, only now are they learning about pollution’s direct role. “In the last five years,” said University of Southern California gerontologist Dr. Caleb Finch, “it’s become very clear to me and others that air pollution is a likely risk factor in Alzheimer’s—as well as in other changes in brain aging that slow our cognitive processes. This is a very large issue that we face globally.”

Thankfully, it’s also an issue researchers are beginning to seriously address. “There are now more than ten labs working on this around the world,” said Finch. “Five years ago, there were just a few. The topic is catching up to the recognition that it merits.”

Caleb “Tuck” Finch is a member of the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund Scientific Advisory Board. A widely-acclaimed biomedical gerontologist who specializes in environmental effects on brain aging, Dr. Finch has received numerous scientific awards and has authored 500 research reports, as well as several major books on aging.

Photo of Los Angeles: Al Pavangkanan