At the 2026 WAM Symposium in London, held during AAIC, Maria Shriver, Founder of WAM at Cleveland Clinic, Joanne Pike, DrPH (President and CEO, Alzheimer’s Association), Rachel Buckley, PhD (Mass General Research Institute and Harvard University), and Hilary Evans-Newton CBE (Chief Executive, Alzheimer’s Research UK) came together for a candid look at where the science stands — and where it still falls short — when it comes to women and Alzheimer’s. Here are 10 takeaways from their conversation.
1. Funding for research has grown nearly tenfold since 2010.
U.S. federal research funding for Alzheimer’s disease rose from roughly $400 million a year to $3.9 billion today. This surge is driving major scientific progress and better outcomes for patients.
2. There’s real scientific evidence that lifestyle interventions can protect cognitive health.
Studies like FINGER, U.S. POINTER, and LatAm-FINGERS show structured lifestyle changes (diet, exercise, cognitive training and health monitoring) can improve memory, thinking and overall cognitive function in older adults at risk for cognitive decline and dementia.
3. Women’s trial representation has surged, but sex-disaggregated reporting hasn’t caught up.
More than half of participants in studies of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia are now women, yet the field still needs to consistently analyze and publish how outcomes differ by sex. We need to report the data we are collecting for it to be of use to women’s health outcomes.
4. Sex differences matter and are still under-explored.
Men and women may respond differently to treatments, dosing, and even the biological drivers of the disease, and we still don’t have all the answers as to what drives these differences.
5. The X chromosome is an emerging, understudied frontier.
Researchers have found that the long-overlooked X chromosome holds important genetic information affecting Alzheimer’s disease risk and resilience. Some genes on the X chromosome appear linked to better cognition and lower brain amyloid levels, suggesting untapped potential for new therapies, particularly for women.
6. APOE4 risk affects women differently.
Women who carry the APOE4 gene face somewhat elevated dementia risk compared to men who carry it, and we don’t know why. This opens a whole new avenue for future research.
7. Blood-based biomarker tests could transform early detection.
Researchers are developing blood tests that could one day let doctors estimate a person’s risk of developing cognitive decline due to Alzheimer’s disease over 10 years before symptoms begin, similar to how cholesterol tests predict heart disease risk today. A study shared at AAIC 2026 found that a blood biomarker called p-tau217 could predict cognitive decline up to a decade before symptoms appeared in people who were cognitively healthy. These tests are currently only approved to help diagnose or rule out Alzheimer’s disease in people who already have symptoms, but if ongoing trials succeed, they could become a much more accessible screening tool than current methods.
8. Awareness remains low despite the science.
The 2026 Cleveland Clinic State of Women’s Health Report found that only 19% of women know they are at increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease, even though most people say they’d take action if they understood their risk. Educating women about their risk for Alzheimer’s is critical.
9. New treatments exist, but access is uneven.
In the UK, disease-modifying drugs aren’t yet routinely available through the National Health Service, highlighting how healthcare systems worldwide are still catching up to the science. In the US, FDA-approved treatments are available, but access remains a challenge for many due to delays in diagnosis, costs, insurance coverage, and geographic disparities.
10. Individual voices drive systemic change.
Public awareness campaigns, patient advocacy, and simply talking about brain health with family and friends have historically been what pushes governments and healthcare systems to act, as we have seen with breast cancer and HIV movements.