Left to Right: Edmund Arthur, O.D., Ph.D., F.A.A.O., Kristen Allen-Watts, Ph.D., M.P.H., Lindsay Rizzardi, Ph.D., Ruan Carlos Macedo de Moraes, Ph.D., Nina Baumgartner, Ph.D.
Five new scholars have joined the UAB Alzheimer's Disease Research Center's (ADRC) REC Scholars program, which aims to develop research expertise in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. As part of the Research Education Component (REC), the program offers mentorship and a specialized curriculum, helping scholars build experience in cross-disciplinary, team-based science.
The REC Scholars include junior faculty as REC Investigators and graduate students, medical students, and fellows as REC Trainees, all conducting research in Alzheimer’s and related areas.
The REC Investigators Program provides $25,000 to support salary or research costs and travel to a national Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centers meeting. Participants receive ongoing guidance from a multidisciplinary mentorship team of established ADRD researchers, helping them develop and complete research projects. The program also facilitates access to ADRC resources, such as samples, data, and expert collaborators. For junior investigators seeking R-level funding for the first time, the REC program offers a valuable opportunity to build connections within the Alzheimer’s research community.
The following individuals have been selected as this year’s REC Scholars:
ADRC REC Scholars (Investigators):
Edmund Arthur, O.D., Ph.D., F.A.A.O.
Assistant Professor, Department of Optometry and Vision Science
“Novel Retinal Biomarker Development in Early Alzheimer's Disease”
Kristen Allen-Watts, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Assistant Professor, Division of Preventive Medicine, Benjamin-Carver FIRST Scientist
“Co-Cares: Assessing Mild Cognitive Impairment in Black Older Adults living with Type 2 Diabetes”
Lindsay Rizzardi, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics
“Investigating the cell type-specific roles of ZEB1 in Alzheimer's disease”
ADRC REC Scholars (Trainees):
Ruan Carlos Macedo de Moraes, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology
“Chronotherapy (Time-Restricted Feeding) to Improve Hippocampal Fast-Spiking Parvalbumin Neurons in Alzheimer’s Disease”
Nina Baumgartner, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Scholar, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology
“Ovarian hormone withdrawal exacerbates Alzheimer's disease risk via dysregulation of fear memory”