Alzheimer's Disease Data Initiative launches new AD Workbench to foster greater global research innovation and accelerate breakthroughs in Alzheimer's disease and related dementias

PR86689

SEATTLE, Nov. 18, 2020 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

--Platform gives scientists open access to more data and new tools

Launching today is the Alzheimer's Disease Data Initiative (ADDI) and its

Alzheimer's disease (AD) Workbench (https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=2983769-1&h=1525351155&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.alzheimersdata.org%2Fad-workbench&a=Workbench ),

a cloud-based platform for scientists to accelerate discoveries and

innovations for AD and related dementias. ADDI is a new global effort that aims

to advance AD innovation by connecting researchers with the data needed to

generate insights and inform the development of improved treatments and

diagnostic tools. ADDI, a 501(c)(3) medical research organization, was created

by a coalition of partners to increase sharing of dementia-related data among

researchers and provide new ways to experiment with the most trusted datasets.

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1335810/ADDI_Logo.jpg

For decades, scientists have made limited progress in Alzheimer's research and

therapeutics, even though Alzheimer's is a leading cause of death around the

world with care estimated to cost more than $1 trillion annually. Now more than

ever, greater data sharing is needed to spark innovative discoveries in AD

research. Advancement is possible--limited access to data should not be a barrier.

The idea for ADDI was initiated in 2018, after Bill Gates brought together a

coalition of partners interested in improving AD and related dementias data

sharing with the aim of moving innovation further and faster toward better

treatments and diagnostic tools.

"The need for new and more effective treatments for Alzheimer's disease has

never been greater. A better understanding of the disease will help us detect

and diagnose it earlier. It should be easier for people to find, enroll and

stay in clinical trials, and we must accelerate the pace of discovery and

innovation. Data can play a critical role in breakthroughs," said Bill Gates.

"Data is a tremendously powerful tool that can be better harnessed to understand

and reduce the impact of AD. It's what the AD Workbench is designed to do."

The AD Workbench will facilitate interoperability across data platforms and

enable researchers to work with multiple datasets. With a federated model of

data sharing, the AD Workbench allows permissioned researchers to import their

datasets, access, and transfer data from other platforms. It also allows them

to work securely with anonymized datasets that are unable to be transferred due

to data privacy, regulation and local laws. Within the platform, users have a

personalized workspace where they can ensure quality control, harmonize data,

and analyze data within the platform. Soon the AD Workbench will provide

researchers and data scientists with the ability to share code and crowdsource ideas.

"There are no limits to the innovation that can arise from researchers working

together with more data than ever before," said ADDI Executive Director Tetsu

Maruyama. "That's what makes the Workbench so exciting -- and it's just the

beginning. The Workbench will continue to evolve with input and data from the

research community, allowing scientists to work with new tools and more data."

The Workbench will increase access to many types of data that will both speed

our basic understanding of AD and related dementias and progress toward new

treatments by:

    --  Allowing scientists to combine data from multiple studies to strengthen

        understanding beyond what could be learned from a single study;

    --  Enabling researchers to revisit existing datasets with new analytical

        methods and technologies; and

    --  Accelerating future research by breaking down traditional research

        barriers.

"There is tremendous power in data sharing and the ability to harmonize data

across multiple groups," said Dr. Reisa Sperling, Director, Center for

Alzheimer Research and Treatment, Brigham and Women's Hospital. "The AD

Workbench will make it easier to access and explore data in new ways and expand

collaboration opportunities."

ADDI will foster an environment that supports and facilitates researchers'

abilities to share data by providing resources. In addition to the AD

Workbench, ADDI has collated existing tools and created new tools that will

help researchers navigate regulatory frameworks and policies that are often

barriers to data sharing. ADDI will also provide grants to fund researchers and

organizations that seek to expand data access and sharing using the AD

Workbench. Increasing access to the best and most trusted datasets is one of

the most effective ways to accelerate progress toward more effective

treatments, and the diagnostics that can help physicians and people with

dementia. Together, these breakthroughs will drastically reduce the impact of

AD on patients, their families, and the healthcare system.

For more information please visit:

www.Alzheimersdata.org

Alzheimer's Disease Data Initiative (ADDI), a 501 (c) (3) medical research

organization (MRO) in partnership with the University of Washington, is

dedicated to advancing scientific breakthroughs in the treatment of Alzheimer's

disease and related dementias. ADDI aims to increase interoperability of

existing data platforms globally, increase sharing of dementia-related data

from academic and industry sources, and empower scientists to find, search,

combine, and analyze data that could lead to new discoveries in dementia

research. ADDI also aims to enhance or fill gaps in data sets, including

enabling generation of demographically representative datasets.

LinkedIn: AlzheimersData (https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=2983769-1&h=3778792282&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fcompany%2Falzheimersdata%2F&a=AlzheimersData )

Twitter: AlzData (https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=2983769-1&h=2405468930&u=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FAlzData&a=AlzData )

ADDI's coalition of partners include AARP, Aridhia, Alzheimer's Association,

Alzheimer's Research UK, Biogen, Bezos Expeditions, Critical Path for

Alzheimer's Disease (CPAD) Consortium, Dementias Platform UK (DPUK), Fidelity

Biomedical Research Initiative (FBRI), Gates Ventures, The Global Alzheimer's

Association Interactive Network (GAAIN), Medical Research Council UK, National

Institutes of Health/National Institute on Aging, VOR AI and Wellcome Trust.

SOURCE: ADDI

CONTACT: Kaia Lenhart, +1 (202) 329-8714, or Melanie Fonder Kaye, +1 (414)708-2525