John Morrison, Ph.D.
Department of Neurology
California National Primate Research Center
Alzheimer’s Disease
NIH-Funded Research Unlocking the Secrets of Brain Aging
As we age, our brains undergo complex changes that can lead to cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. At ٺƵ, John Morrison, director emeritus of the California National Primate Research Center and professor of neurology, is leading NIH-funded research to understand how aging affects the brain at a cellular level. His work focuses on synaptic health in the cerebral cortex, examining how factors like hormonal changes and inflammation influence brain function over time.
Helping Humanity
By identifying the early mechanisms of cognitive decline, Morrison’s research is paving the way for treatments that could help protect brain function as we age. Without continued NIH funding, progress in understanding and preventing neurodegenerative diseases could slow, delaying potential breakthroughs particularly in Alzheimer’s prevention and treatment. Sustained investment ensures that this critical research continues, offering hope for healthier aging and a future with fewer neurological disorders.
In the case of NIH-funded research, you’ll disrupt ongoing clinical trials, which is dangerous to those patients. You will disrupt the very basic work that NIH tends to fund that pharma and biotech aren’t going to do, because their responsibility is to go that last step toward developing an intervention.”
— John Morrison, Ph.D