Mayo Clinic receives $1.6 million to fund Alzheimer’s research in Jacksonville

Eight programs at Mayo Clinic’s Jacksonville campus are receiving a total of $1.6 million in grants to fund Alzheimer’s research in Jacksonville.

The Florida Department of Health awarded grants to 27 programs statewide on behalf of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Grant Advisory Board.

Kevin Bieniek, a post-doctoral research fellow at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, will benefit from this most recent round of grant funding from the state. His study examines the relationship between brain trauma and Alzheimer’s disease.

“There are so many people that get Alzheimer’s disease that have no family history of this disorder,” Bieniek told WOKV. “It’s really a complex interaction of your genetics; the environment; your lifestyle; there are so many factors that come into play.”

Beiniek is looking for any genetic causes that would predispose someone to the disorder, should they be exposed to significant brain trauma.

While generally optimistic, Beiniek concedes it’s difficult to know whether researchers are close to a cure or not. He believes additional funding for research is crucial to continue making advances against an undefeated condition.