CINCINNATI – August 10, 2026 – Physicians at the University of Cincinnati Gardner Neuroscience Institute and the Timothy Freeman, MD, Center for Developmental Disabilities are partnering to bring a unique research opportunity to Greater Cincinnatians living with Down syndrome by participating in a new study, seeking to better understand the link between Alzheimer’s disease and Down syndrome.

With as many as nine in 10 people with Down syndrome developing Alzheimer’s disease, researchers believe this population could be the key to finding new treatment options and taking steps toward possibly finding a cure for Alzheimer’s.

“This transformative research project for people with Down syndrome brings together the complementary clinical expertise and infrastructure from the Timothy Freeman, MD, Center for Developmental Disabilities and the University of Cincinnati Gardner Neuroscience Institute,” said Russell Sawyer, MD, a neurologist at UC Health and associate professor of clinical neurology & rehabilitation medicine.

The University of Cincinnati is one of only 20 U.S. sites for the Trial Ready Cohort-Down Syndrome (TRC-DS) with physicians from the Timothy Freeman, MD, Center for Developmental Disabilities bringing this opportunity to patients and Greater Cincinnati community members living with Down syndrome.

“As part of Cincinnati’s academic health system and the only center in the region dedicated to providing interdisciplinary care for adults with developmental disabilities, the Freeman Center is uniquely positioned to offer world-class research opportunities like the TRC-DS study to our community,” said Lauren Wang, MD, Director of the Freeman Center and adjunct associate professor of family and community medicine at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. “We're proud to participate in the study, ensuring people with Down syndrome continue to be a part of the medical breakthroughs in understanding and treating Alzheimer's disease.”

The international study is creating a community of people with Down syndrome who are interested in learning about research opportunities and are ready and willing to participate in potential future clinical trials related to Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers are looking for volunteers ages 25 to 55 who have Down syndrome to participate in the study.

“Research has the power to change lives, and expanding access to research opportunities is essential for the Down syndrome community,” said National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) CEO Kandi Pickard. “UC Health's participation as a TRC-DS research center reflects a commitment to ensuring more individuals and families can participate in and benefit from research. Their leadership is helping build trust, expand access, and ensure that individuals with Down syndrome are not left behind as research advances. NDSS is proud to work alongside partners like the Freeman Center to create a future where individuals with Down syndrome thrive.”

TRC-DS is funded by the National Institutes of Health’s INLCUDE (Investigation of Co-occurring conditions across the Lifespan to Understand Down syndrome) project.

Alzheimer’s disease occurs in people with Down syndrome because the extra copy of chromosome 21 carries the amyloid precursor protein gene and this results in the build-up of amyloid plaques and tangles, which is now the main theory behind the leading cause of Alzheimer’s disease.

“Research opens doors to better health, stronger supports, and fuller lives for people with Down syndrome,” said Jim Hudson, Executive Director of the National Down Syndrome Congress (NDSC). “As a Cincinnati resident and long-term supporter of UC Health’s Freeman Center, I’m thrilled to support the University of Cincinnati as a TRC-DS research center to help ensure that more families can take part in studies that truly matter.”

Researchers are actively enrolling participants in the study at University of Cincinnati Gardner Neuroscience Institute. Volunteers do not have to be current patients at the Timothy Freeman, MD, Center for Developmental Disabilities to take part in the study. To learn more, visit TRCDS.org or contact the UC study coordinator at MemDisordersRsrch@ucmail.uc.edu

About UC Health

UC Health is Greater Cincinnati's adult academic health system. World-class care, groundbreaking research and the next generation of medicine come together to transform health and improve life within our community.

About the Alzheimer’s Clinical Trials Consortium 

The Alzheimer’s Clinical Trial Consortium (ACTC) is a state-of-the-art infrastructure network established with funding by the NIA to support the conduct of clinical trials across the continuum of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). The ACTC leverages the depth and breadth of AD clinical research teams at USC, Harvard, and the Mayo Clinic, as well as the considerable experience of investigators at 35 expert AD trial sites to provide an optimal infrastructure, utilizing centralized resources and shared expertise, to accelerate the development of effective interventions for Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders (ADRD).