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John Robinson and William Van Nostrand, investigate how and why neurodegenerative diseases develop and seeks innovative solutions. “Neuroscience is a point of pride for URI with tremendous opportunity for growth,” says Robinson, who is also the Thomas M. Ryan Professor of Neuroscience. “By attracting top scientific talent to the area, training students, and forming collaborative partnerships, URI has very quickly become a dynamic neuroscience and biomedical research community.” Robinson has helped advance the understanding of the role of diet, exercise, and cognitive stimulation on the progression of Alzheimer’s disease and other similar conditions. “We know now that Alzheimer’s disease and other age-related disorders are not determined by a single cause,” he says. “They are most likely diseases with multiple contributors that will require more than one form of treatment, and those will not necessarily be the same for every individual.” Van Nostrand, the Herrmann Professor of Neuroscience, echoes his directorial partner’s sentiment: “By understanding the pathological mechanisms of these diseases, we can identify biomarkers that could lead to earlier or improved diagnosis, treatment, and ultimately prevention.” A biochemist by training, Van Nostrand has focused his research career on the role of blood vessels in Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders. Early in his career he identified an enzyme inhibitor that he

found to be the progenitor of amyloid beta, a protein that accumulates abnormally in the brain of those with Alzheimer’s disease. His expertise in cerebral amyloid angiopathy, which causes bleeding in the brain, could be key to understanding related disorders, including hypertension. Van Nostrand began collaboration with pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly in January 2024 to investigate the bleeding risk associated with newly FDA-approved Alzheimer’s disease treatments. He also collaborated with Alnylam Pharmaceuticals in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on a drug to stop the over-accumulation of amyloid-beta protein that plays a role in Alzheimer’s disease. MindImmune Therapeutics, an independent biotech company based at URI and affiliated with the Ryan Institute, plans to begin clinical testing of an Alzheimer’s antibody drug late next year. “We see that many diseases that affect the brain blood vessels have certain pathologies in common,” Van Nostrand says. “If we can better understand the molecular mechanisms involved, we may be able to find targets for multiple disorders that lead to dementia.” But the Ryan Institute’s mission transcends intervention in active disease. Neurodegenerative disease prevention is another of its key aims. For example, Jessica Alber, assistant professor of biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences and Ryan research assistant professor of neuroscience, holds a $10 million grant

Many URI neuroscience faculty members collaborate with nearby biotech, pharmaceutical,

JOHN ROBINSON Co-Executive Director; Thomas M. Ryan Professor of Neuroscience Professor, Psychology and Biomedical/ Pharmaceutical Sciences

and clinical entities in Rhode Island and

Massachusetts, as well as medical and academic institutions across the U.S. and overseas.

WILLIAM VAN NOSTRAND Co-Executive Director; Herrmann Professor of Neuroscience Professor of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

Neurodegenerative diseases—which include Alzheimer’s disease, ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), Parkinson’s disease, and age-related dementia—have a devastating impact on the lives of millions and are some of the most complex and challenging conditions to understand and treat. The University of Rhode Island (URI) aims to tackle this crisis. By growing a strong biomedical sciences ecosystem, URI enhances our state’s attractiveness to biotechnology companies and startups, spurring job creation and economic development. The George & Anne Ryan Institute for Neuroscience, established in 2013 by Tom Ryan ’75 Hon ’99 and his wife, Cathy, is home to an interdisciplinary group of nine core faculty, as well as a network of affiliated URI faculty, based throughout the Colleges of Pharmacy, Health Sciences, Environmental and Life Sciences, and Engineering. This dedicated team, led by co-executive directors and URI professors

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