AAIC Advancements: Reducing Disparities in Brain Health

Join the Alzheimer’s Association on 30 and 31 October 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina, or online, for AAIC® Advancements: Reducing Disparities in Brain Health. The conference brings together researchers, healthcare professionals, community leaders and advocates to move the field beyond understanding disparities and towards real-world solutions.

Brain health disparities are shaped by intersecting biological, social, environmental and structural factors, and no single discipline can tackle them alone. Over two days the programme looks at them from every angle, from lived-experience perspectives through to strategies for putting the science into practice, with insights that can inform research, care and policy.

Highlights

• The biological and clinical factors that contribute to disparities in brain health
• Behavioural, cultural and linguistic influences on access, participation and outcomes
• Environmental and neighbourhood factors that shape cognitive health across communities
• Research priorities and practical pathways for translating science into care and population impact

The programme

Day one opens with a session led by people with lived experience, on what motivates, enables and gets in the way of taking part in brain health research. Sessions then look at disparities from the biological and clinical, behavioural and sociocultural, and environmental and community perspectives, before a session on promoting and supporting disparities research, with speakers from the National Institute on Aging, NINDS, the Alzheimer’s Association, the Michael J. Fox Foundation and the editors of the Alzheimer’s & Dementia journals.

Day two covers brain health factors and interventions across the lifecourse, a lightning presentation round, and translating science into real-world settings, including implementing the POINTER lifestyle intervention. There are poster breaks throughout both days.

The conference is chaired by Amy Kind (University of Wisconsin-Madison), José Luchsinger (Columbia University) and Lycia Neumann (Alzheimer’s Association). See the full conference programme for every session and speaker.

Times and venue

• Friday 30 October: 8.30am to 6pm ET (12.30pm to 10pm UK)
• Saturday 31 October: 8.30am to 12.50pm ET (12.30pm to 4.50pm UK)

The conference takes place at The Westin Charlotte, 601 S. College St., Charlotte, NC 28202, with a virtual option for those who can’t travel. Abstract submissions have closed, and registration is open.

Registration rates

Rates are tiered by the World Bank’s country income groups, and the right rate is applied automatically based on your category and country. HIC means high-income country; LMIC means low- and middle-income country.

In person

• Non-member (all countries): $250
• Member professional (HIC): $150
• Member postdoc or student (HIC): $50
• Member professional, postdoc or student (LMIC): $50

Virtual

• Non-member (all countries): $25
• Member: free

Joining ISTAART

Non-members can join ISTAART, the Alzheimer’s Association International Society to Advance Alzheimer’s Research and Treatment, while registering and pay the member rate. Membership runs until 30 June 2027 and costs:

• Professional (HIC): $125
• Postdoc (HIC): $65
• Student (HIC): free
• Professional, postdoc or student (LMIC): free

Postdocs and students must be enrolled in full-time undergraduate or graduate programmes at degree-awarding institutions, and may be asked for proof of status. For students in high-income countries, joining first and registering as a member cuts the in-person fee from $250 to $50, and makes virtual attendance free. Membership also brings you into a global community of researchers and clinicians, with networking, scientific discussion and leadership development along the way.

Want some background first?

Listen to our ISTAART RELAY podcast with the Diversity and Disparities PIA, or read our blog on understanding inequalities in dementia.

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