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Cure Alzheimer's Fund
Cure Alzheimer's Fund was established in 2004 by a group of families committed to accelerating Alzheimer's disease research.
Cure Alzheimer's Fund
Cure Alzheimer's Fund was established in 2004 by a group of families committed to accelerating Alzheimer's disease research. Its leadership includes President and CEO Timothy Armour, who oversees operations, and Rudy Tanzi, a professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School who chairs the Research Advisory Board and directs the Genetics and Aging Research Unit at MGH. The fund deploys donor capital exclusively through a venture-philanthropy model: it solicits and reviews high-risk research proposals that are unlikely to receive NIH funding. Grants cover basic science, genetics, biomarker development, and therapeutic target identification. The organization does not invest in for-profit companies or real estate. Its geographic footprint is entirely US-based, with research grants flowing primarily to academic medical centers such as Massachusetts General Hospital, Washington University in St. Louis, and the University of Southern California. Cure Alzheimer's Fund has no disclosed AUM or professional count. It does not maintain a traditional investment portfolio — all funds raised are granted out to researchers. The organization reports annually on research milestones. In 2024, the fund announced a $1.5 million grant to support a clinical trial for a novel gamma-secretase modulator being developed by a consortium including MGH and Washington University (per the fund's press release, June 2024). The fund's structural differentiator is its donor-directed, high-risk research mandate. Unlike the NIH or the Alzheimer's Association, Cure Alzheimer's Fund operates without federal bureaucracy, accepting only unrestricted or program-restricted donations. Its scientific advisory board, led by Tanzi, pre-screens every proposal, and the fund does not charge indirect costs — 100% of donations are directed to research, a model the organization describes as 'hypothesis-driven, not institution-driven.'
General information
Firm type
Foundation
Year founded
2004
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Wellesley Hills
Corporate office
Wellesley Hills, MA, United States
Principals
Timothy Armour
President and CEO
Rudy Tanzi
Chairman, Research Advisory Board
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who controls research spending at Cure Alzheimer's Fund?
Research allocation is directed by the fund's scientific advisory board, chaired by Rudy Tanzi, professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School and director of the Genetics and Aging Research Unit at MGH. Proposals are peer-reviewed by the board without the indirect-cost overhead typical of government grants.
Does Cure Alzheimer's Fund invest in for-profit biotech companies?
No. The fund operates exclusively as a grant-making organization. All donor dollars are directed to academic researchers and nonprofit research institutions. The fund does not take equity or participate in commercial ventures.
What is the fund's relationship to the Tanzi lab?
Rudy Tanzi chairs the fund's Research Advisory Board, but grant decisions are made by a committee of scientists, not by Tanzi alone. The fund requires all board members — including Tanzi — to recuse themselves from votes on proposals they are affiliated with.
How does the fund differ from the NIH or the Alzheimer's Association?
Cure Alzheimer's Fund targets high-risk, early-stage projects that traditional grant-makers often reject. It operates without the bureaucratic lag of federal agencies, funds at lower overhead, and can move from proposal to grant within weeks rather than months.
Does the fund have any endowment or investment portfolio?
No publicly disclosed investment portfolio. The fund's model is to grant out essentially all money it raises in the year it is raised. It maintains a small operating reserve but does not function as an asset manager.
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