Building a Legacy of Hope
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 17, 2009) – He now is internationally recognized and renowned and in 1960, he entered the first University of Kentucky College of Medicine class. That is Dr. William R. Markesbery, who now is director of the UK Sanders-Brown Center on Aging and its Alzheimer's Disease Center (ADC), Commonwealth Chair in Aging and professor of neurology, pathology, neurosurgery, and anatomy and neurobiology, UK College of Medicine.
Over the years, Markesbery has received more National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants than anyone at UK. His studies involve Alzheimer's disease and the NIH has continuously funded his research for almost 30 years. Markesbery has over 410 peer reviewed scientific publications and has received numerous awards recognizing his work to find a cure for and prevention of Alzheimer's disease.
In July, Markesbery received the prestigious Khachaturian Award from the National Alzheimer's Association in Vienna for advancing the field of Alzheimer's disease. "Nothing is quite as rewarding as the recognition of one’s peers," said Markesbery. "I am grateful to have the opportunity to take part in the investigation of the most devastating disease that affects humanity. It has been a privilege to care for individuals with the disease, support the families and through research, strive to gain a better understanding of Alzheimer’s disease so that one day soon, we will learn how to prevent the disease in those at risk and stop the progression of those with the disease."
Born in Florence, Ky., Markesbery served in the United States Army from 1954-1956 and received a Bachelor of Science degree from UK in 1960. After graduating with distinction from the UK College of Medicine in 1964, Markesbery, from 1964 to 1969, completed a mixed internship at the UK Medical Center as well as a residency in neurology at The Neurological Institute, Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital in New York, N.Y. He then went on to complete a fellowship in neuropathology at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia in New York.
From 1969 to 1972, Marksbery served as a faculty member at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry and Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, N.Y. In 1972, he came to UK and began his longtime career as a clinician and researcher. As well as his College of Medicine appointments, Markesbery also has been a consultant in neurology and neuropathology at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Lexington.
He is married to Barbara Abram Markesbery and they have three daughters: Dr. Susanne Arnold (UK Markey Cancer Center) and twins Allison Robbins and Kendall Markesbery.
The Sanders-Brown Center on Aging has been conducting research on Alzheimer’s disease, stroke and other aging related concerns for over 30 years. America's population is aging, resulting in significant economic, social, educational and health challenges to the well-being of our nation. The UK Sanders-Brown Center on Aging is at the forefront of this challenge. Through a gift from the Eleanor and John Y. Brown Jr. Foundation and a matching grant from the Commonwealth of Kentucky, the Sanders-Brown Center on Aging opened in 1979 and is one of 10 original National Institutes of Health-funded Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centers. Today, the center is an internationally prestigious research center.
The center is dedicated to advancing the well being of the elderly. Its major goal is to support healthy aging. It is at the forefront of research on prevention, early diagnosis of dementing diseases and studies on the causes of those diseases. The center also is one of five Commonwealth of Kentucky Centers of Excellence and is a recognized leading center.
Some interesting facts about the Alzheimer's Disease Center include: TheUK ADC ranks second in clinical trials in the International Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study Group, behind only Yale University; UK has two investigators ranked on the list of the Top 100 Alzheimer’s Disease researchers in the world (Markesbery, 23rd, and Alan Butterfield, 39th), and can take credit for launching the careers of two others on this list.
The good news is that three out of five persons will keep the brain of a teenager well into late life. The bad news is that five million individuals in the U.S. alone and more than 35 million worldwide are affected by Alzheimer’s disease and the number is increasing at a rapid rate.
In Markesbery's mission statement about the center, he said, "Our Sanders-Brown Center on Aging was established to identify and study problems that directly influence older adults and to improve the quality of their lives through a wide range of research, service, and educational activities.
"Our research mission is focused on age-related diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and other dementing disorders, stroke, and prion. The overall goal is to understand these disorders so that they can be successfully treated and prevented. Considerable research efforts are also directed at understanding normal brain aging. The center's service mission to the community, state, and region includes providing exemplary care for older adults with neurodegenerative diseases and stroke, advising community and state government, health care providers and higher education entities concerned with older adults, and to deliver clinical services and health-related educational programs to the Bluegrass African American community.
"Our education mission includes training of health care professionals and non-professionals who work with the elderly, training of scientific investigators, educating the community and state about physical and mental disorders of the elderly, providing self enrichment activities for older adults, and emphasizing lifelong growth and development for the elderly.
"The programs of the Sanders-Brown Center on Aging will improve the quality of life for older Americans in this and future generations."