AAN to honor Tokyo neurologist with Potamkin Prize for AD research

The American Academy of Neurology is awarding its 2012 Potamkin Prize for Research in Pick's, Alzheimer's and Related Diseases to Takeshi Iwatsubo, MD, PhD, with the University of Tokyo School of Medicine. Iwatsubo will receive the award during the Academy's 64th Annual Meeting, April 21-28, 2012, in New Orleans. The Annual Meeting is the world's largest gathering of neurologists with more than 10,000 attendees and more than 2,300 scientific presentations on the latest research advance in brain disease.

The Potamkin Prize honors researchers for their work in helping to advance the understanding of Pick's disease, Alzheimer's disease and related disorders. The $100,000 prize is an internationally recognized tribute for advancing dementia research.

Iwatsubo is receiving the Potamkin Prize for his research leading the Japanese Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative Project to discover imaging and biochemical markers that are useful in clinical trials for Alzheimer's disease treatments.

"Winning the Potamkin Prize is the highlight of my career as a researcher," said Iwatsubo. "It is my hope that my research will contribute to the development of new therapies to prevent and cure Alzheimer's disease and related neurodegenerative disorders."