Campus News

'Behind the Blue': Dr. Peter Nelson Discusses UK’s Leading Efforts on Alzheimer’s and Dementia Research

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 20, 2020) — The statistics on Alzheimer’s and dementia inducing brain disease are frightening to look at, and unlike research into cancer and heart disease, researchers have often been frustrated in their efforts to make progress in understanding these diseases.

Dr. Peter Nelson, of the University of Kentucky’s Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, has spent the last 15 years in the Commonwealth helping to lead the fight against Alzheimer’s and dementia inducing brain disease. “Clinical trials are where we’re going to make the difference in Alzheimer’s disease and dementia research,” Nelson says. “My colleagues who do the clinical trials do the most clinical trials of anybody in the country. More than Harvard, more than Stanford, more than University of Chicago, the very best in the world. So, if people want to be involved in clinical trial research, this is the place they go.”

On this episode of "Behind the Blue," UK Public Relations and Strategic Communications’ Carl Nathe talks with Nelson about the work of the Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, the strategies involved in working with such a complex set of diseases, the personal experience that drives his efforts in this research, and more.

"Behind the Blue" is available on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher and Spotify. Become a subscriber to receive new episodes of “Behind the Blue” each week. UK’s latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists and writers will be featured, along with the most important news impacting the university.

For questions or comments about this or any other episode of "Behind the Blue," email BehindTheBlue@uky.edu or tweet your question with #BehindTheBlue.

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As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.   

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