TED'S TAKE: WHEN AND HOW WE INVEST INFLUENCES IF AND HOW FAST WE ACHIEVE

Where we invest in research and who we invest in is directly related to how soon we make discoveries. We are all stewards of scare resources. In today’s environment it is  critical.

I keep seeing folks post and beat the drum for Alzheimer’s research. They have been promoting this research for years now. Bravo for them! Many do so because someone close to them  is afflicted.

Folks pushing issue-specific research want to do something for the cause and make a difference, and their advocacy makes them feel good. But IF you truly want to accomplish something you must do your homework and then “focus” your efforts, particularly research dollars. If you chose not to, that’s OK! Just know it may provide a sense of accomplishment without delivering meaningful results. Many of these same advocates are rightly frustrated that more has not been accomplished regarding research – but the problem is there’s a lack of focus from these same advocates!

Personally, I’m steeped in the science and research of breast cancer. I target my limited research dollars there to accomplish something and make a difference with my investment because I’m familiar with the studies and I’ve talked with the researchers. It’s easy to dismiss the science as too complicated, but we can all learn. I encourage people who want to see progress on any issue they believe in adopt this same approach..

Early on in my research travels, I came across a researcher, a Nobel Prize winner actually, on issues of the brain. She worked with telomeres -- the tails on the ends of your chromosomes, and these can shorten with each splitting of the gene, and this shortening is believed to have a negative effect on the transmission of your genetics to the next level of cells and so could result in a loss of transmission and be one of the issues with Alzheimer’s.

Other research believed to be connected with Alzheimer’s, looks at the brain’s cleansing or waste system called the glymphatic or glymph system for short. This kind of works like the lymph system only for the brain. Research is pointing to failures in the glymph system might affect Alzheimer’s. Telomeres and the glymph system would be good places to better understand this disease.

I reached out to an Alzheimer’s research advocate and mentioned something about telomeres and the glymph system suggesting they consider targeting these areas with research funding...

They did not know or understand either. They said it was too complicated for them.

That’s not fair to them or their issue. To me, these dollars – any dollars they raise – can make a real impact if we target what we know, what we don’t know and challenge researchers to work together answering key questions. Otherwise, we spend a lot of time raising awareness but wasting dollars.