Members of the AFTD staff, along with several funding partner organizations, gathered with the world’s top scientists studying tauopathies for the 2024 Tau Consortium Investigators Meeting (TCIM) this September in Denver. The Tau Consortium™ is a collaborative research program that is managed and funded by the Rainwater Charitable Foundation (RCF) that fosters collaboration and knowledge-sharing, making it a unique space where researchers, consultants, and advisors can work together, sharing unpublished and confidential findings, and strategizing on future clinical trials.

The meeting opened with an update on the tremendous progress of ReD-Lat, the Multi-Partner Consortium to Expand Dementia Research in Latin America. Led by Katherine Possin, PhD (of the University of California, San Francisco and the AFTD Medical Advisory Council), this international team aims to combine genomic, neuroimaging, and behavioral data to improve the understanding and treatment of neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s disease and FTD in diverse populations. The project began in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Peru, but has been able to expand to include Mexico and Chile. In addition to genomics, neuroimaging, and behavioral data, the study has also expanded to include family assessments, EEG recordings, and natural speech analysis. Data collected from these efforts will facilitate numerous research projects, establish a multidisciplinary consortium of diverse clinicians and researchers, and promote the development of the next generation of scientific investigators in Latin America.

Juliana Acosta-Uribe, MD, PhD (University of California, Santa Barbara, and Grupo de Neurociencias de Antioquia, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin, Colombia) shared her inspiring experiences as a clinical scientist studying the population genetics of neurodegenerative diseases in Colombia. Documentary photographer Alex Kornhuber (Global Brain Health Institute) moved the audience with powerful images and narratives that captured the lived experiences of dementia patients, their families, and the broader impact on their communities. These presentations sparked a meaningful discussion on the importance of adopting a global perspective in dementia research.

Following the inspiring presentations from Dr. Possin, Dr. Acosta-Uribe, and Mr. Kornhuber, the subsequent two and a half days were packed with presentations and discussions spanning basic science through to clinical work. Highlights included the launch of an RCF-led initiative to develop a new 4R-tau PET ligand for clinical use, updates on mechanisms of primary tauopathies, longitudinal studies, biomarkers, clinical trials for tauopathies, and advancements in our drug discovery efforts.

Our understanding of tauopathies has significantly grown since the founding of the Tau Consortium in 2009. Strategic collaboration across the consortium has fueled growth and progress. The mood leaving the conference was hopeful for the progress to come.