AAI Congressional Briefing
“Combating Chronic Disease: The Promise of Immunology Research for Alzheimer’s Disease”
September 2, 2026
12:00 – 1:00 p.m. Eastern time
Hart Senate Office Building, Room 216
Speakers:
- David Holtzman, MD - Professor of Neurology; Barbara Burton & Reuben M Morriss III Distinguished Professorship; Director, Hope Center for Neurological Disorders; Director, Knight Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center; WashU Medicine (St. Louis, MO)
- Susan Kaech, PhD – Executive Vice President and Director, Immunology, Allen Institute (Seattle, WA); Vice President, AAI
- Sean Terwilliger – Alzheimer’s disease patient advocate (Holyoke, MA)
Co-chairs:
- Avery August, PhD, HHMI Professor, Professor of Immunology, Deputy Provost, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine; AAI President
- Marion Pepper, PhD, Professor and Chair, Immunology, University of Washington; Chair, AAI Advocacy and Policy Core Committee
Description:
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is one of the nation’s most pressing public health challenges. In 2026, AD affects an estimated 7.6 million Americans age 65 and older, and the cost of health and long-term care for individuals living with AD and other dementias is . Emerging research has revealed that the immune system plays an important role in AD, with chronic inflammation, immune dysfunction, and abnormalities in brain-resident immune cells contributing to disease development and progression. These discoveries reshape scientific understanding of AD, illustrate the need for additional research on the immune system’s role in AD and other neurodegenerative diseases, and create new opportunities for therapeutic intervention.
Please join the American Association of Immunologists for an exciting presentation on the evolving science linking the immune system and Alzheimer’s disease. Distinguished experts Drs. Holtzman and Kaech will discuss recent advances in neuroimmunology, the promise and limitations of emerging immunotherapies, and how sustained federal funding for biomedical research is necessary to advance new approaches to better understand, prevent, and treat Alzheimer’s disease. Attendees will also hear a powerful story from a patient advocate with UsAgainstAlzheimer’s, Sean Terwilliger, a patient living with AD who was treated with anti-amyloid monoclonal antibody infusion therapy. Formal remarks will be followed by a Q&A session.
RSVP here:
*Please note this event is in-person only and will not be recorded*
Lunch will be served
This briefing meets Congressional鈥痚thics requirements for a widely attended event