DOJ, FEMA, NIH, FDA, SSA, NSF, DOD and CMS outline roles for Alzheimer’s research, care and emergency planning
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Summary
Federal agency representatives at the advisory council described recent advances and agency priorities: DOJ on elder justice training; FEMA on disaster planning for people with dementia; NIH on research and funding milestones; FDA on diagnostics and therapeutics; SSA and CMS on benefits, disability and payment models; NSF and DoD on research and targeted programs.
Representatives from a broad set of federal agencies briefed the National Alzheimer's Project Act advisory council on their current work and priorities for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.
Justice and emergency response: Andy Mao, the Department of Justice’s National Elder Justice Coordinator, described DOJ initiatives to train investigators and prosecutors on forensic interviews tailored for older adults with cognitive impairment. Michael Bricovich of FEMA discussed efforts to integrate disability and aging expertise into disaster preparedness and response, including toolkits, regional disability coordinators, and partnerships with public health and memory‑care organizations.
Research and diagnostics: NIH officials — including Richard Hodes (NIA) and Amy Bonnie Adams (NINDS) — reviewed NIH’s research priorities, highlighted the infrastructure of annual summits that set milestones, and noted that public and private investments in Alzheimer's research have increased substantially in recent years (the transcript cited an aggregate increase to more than $3 billion). They described progress on biomarkers, diverse therapeutic targets, and the importance of implementation research to translate findings into clinical care.
Regulatory advances: Valentina Mantua of the FDA summarized the agency’s role in evaluating drugs, qualifying biomarkers, and clearing diagnostics. The presentation cited recent milestones in therapeutics and diagnostics (transcript references include the conversion of an accelerated approval to traditional approval and approval of a second monoclonal antibody), and highlighted approvals of CSF and blood‑based tests and updated imaging tracer labeling to enable quantitative assessment.
Benefits and care delivery: Social Security officials (Bob Weathers and Michael Goldstein) explained SSA’s disability determination approach for neurocognitive disorders (including the use of medical listing 12.02), the vocational analysis applied when listings are not met, and representative payee program concerns for people living with dementia. Sherry Lang from CMS outlined CMS authorities as the largest health care payer, ongoing work on cognitive assessment and care planning codes, quality reporting measures tied to dementia care, and CMMI’s GUIDE model for testing payment and care innovations; she also referenced Coverage with Evidence Development pathways for disease‑modifying therapies.
Additional research and program supports: Rebecca Farrell (NSF) described NSF’s foundational investments in AI, cognitive and neuroscience, and programs that enable research translation and workforce development. Melissa Miller (CDMRP/Department of Defense) summarized DoD's Alzheimer's Research Program, consumer involvement in review processes, and targeted investments including a program appropriation that was cited in the presentation as $15 million for recent FY cycles and an aggregate program total referenced at roughly $228 million.
What this means: Agency briefings emphasized coordinated federal action across research, diagnostics, clinical care, emergency management, and benefits administration. Officials urged council members to use subcommittees to develop precise recommendations that federal agencies can operationalize or present to Congress. No formal votes or policy changes were recorded during the session.
