Accelerating Hope

Why Alzheimer’s Fast Track Matters, now more than ever.

Last November, I had the privilege of attending the BrightFocus Foundation’s Alzheimer’s Fast Track 2025 in San Diego, my first time experiencing firsthand a program I’m proud to support as a private legacy donor.

I thought I understood the impact of Fast Track. I’ve read the reports, seen the grant summaries, and followed the science closely for years. But being in that room, surrounded by brilliant young researchers, world-class mentors, and the courageous individuals living with Alzheimer’s who shared their stories, changed everything for me.

This wasn’t just another scientific workshop.

It was a spark.

A gathering of minds and hearts, united by a shared determination to solve one of the greatest medical challenges of our time.

A Front-Row Seat to Hope

Walking into the Fast Track workshop felt like stepping into the future. More than 60 early-career scientists, from nine countries, filled the room with energy, urgency, and optimism. These are not seasoned researchers repeating familiar ideas. They are the next generation, the ones who will ask the uncomfortable questions, challenge the assumptions, and push the field forward.

For the first time, I saw exactly what my support helps make possible:

• New voices entering Alzheimer’s research
• Bold ideas not yet shaped by decades of convention
• Mentorship that accelerates careers, confidence, and collaboration
• A community built on curiosity, compassion, and determination

Listening to these rising scientists talk about their projects, ranging from innovative imaging technologies to environmental risk factors to potential therapeutic pathways. I felt immense pride. Not for what I’ve given, but for what they’re giving: their lives, their talent, their passion.

The Power of Human Stories

What surprised me most was how deeply human the workshop felt.

BrightFocus invites individuals living with early-onset Alzheimer’s and their family members to speak directly to the researchers. Their vulnerability is extraordinary. Their strength is unforgettable. Seeing the scientists, some barely a few years out of their PhDs, moved to tears, taking notes, asking questions … it showed me that breakthroughs don’t begin in labs. They begin in moments of connection.

And in those moments, I understood the true value of Fast Track:
It keeps the science rooted in humanity.

Why I Chose to Support Fast Track

When I first became a legacy donor, I did it because I believed in the mission: supporting bold, early-stage research capable of transforming the future of Alzheimer’s treatment and prevention. But now, after attending, I understand something deeper.

Fast Track doesn’t just fund research. It builds researchers. It develops the leaders who will shape the next 30 years of Alzheimer’s discovery. It gives them the knowledge, community, and confidence to stay in this challenging field.

And if we want a future without Alzheimer’s, that is exactly what we need.

The Next Chapter

As I left San Diego, I felt something I hadn’t expected: hope—genuine, grounded, science-driven hope. Not because the challenge is smaller than I thought. It isn’t. But because the people dedicating their lives to solving this disease are more capable, more inspired, and more determined than ever.

I attended Fast Track to understand the impact of my giving. I left feeling honored to be a part of it.

If this is what the next generation of Alzheimer’s research looks like, then the future is brighter than we imagine.