Helping primary care patients and clinicians use Alzheimer’s biomarkers
Official title: Supporting Primary Care Patients and Clinicians in Decisions about Alzheimer's Disease Biomarkers
Funded at University of Colorado Denver · NIH-11463105 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A patient-friendly project to help primary care teams use blood biomarkers to better understand and diagnose Alzheimer’s disease in people with memory or thinking problems.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Colorado Denver NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Aurora, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | September 1, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $429,000 |
| NIH project number | 1R21AG104791-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11463105 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with memory or thinking problems seen in primary care who may undergo AD biomarker testing.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without cognitive concerns or those not undergoing biomarker testing may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
If you or a loved one has memory issues seen in a regular clinic, this project builds tools to help your doctor use blood tests for Alzheimer’s biomarkers more accurately. It focuses on primary care settings, where many people first get diagnosed, to improve how diagnoses are made and discussed. The team will create decision support tools and supportive materials so clinicians can integrate biomarker information with patients’ values and needs, in real-world practice. The goal is to make diagnoses clearer and more personalized in everyday care. This work will involve collaboration with clinicians and patients to ensure the tools fit real clinic workflows.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to faster, clearer, and more patient-centered diagnoses for Alzheimer’s disease in primary care.
How similar studies have gone: There is prior evidence that biomarker-informed practice can improve diagnostic accuracy, but tools tailored for primary care are not yet available.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Colorado Denver
Aurora, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lum, Hillary — University of Colorado Denver
- Study coordinator: Lum, Hillary
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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High-Quality Primary Care for Older Adults with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias
A national study looks at how access to high-quality primary care for older adults with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias has changed over time and what system factors help or hinder it.
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Preparing for blood-based Alzheimer’s biomarker testing: a decision-support tool for diverse primary care patients
A doctor-scientist is being trained to create an easy, patient-friendly tool to help diverse people decide about blood tests that detect Alzheimer’s risks.
-
Improving how primary care teams handle advance care planning for Alzheimer's and related dementias
A program to help family doctors and care teams talk with people living with Alzheimer's and related dementias about their care preferences and wishes.
-
Blood tests and simple cognitive tests to detect Alzheimer's early in clinics
A study will test new blood biomarkers and quick cognitive tests to detect Alzheimer’s disease more accurately in doctors’ offices and memory clinics.
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Scalable tools to help primary care detect Alzheimer’s disease earlier
A nationwide approach helps primary care teams use new tools and blood tests to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease Earlier and more accurately.
-
Better primary care for older adults with Alzheimer's and related dementias
This project explores how older adults with Alzheimer's and related dementias get primary care and what helps clinics deliver better care.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.