Birey awarded BrightFocus grant for Alzheimer's research
APRIL 2026
Fikri Birey was one of three Emory investigators selected to receive research grants from BrightFocus Foundation’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research program, along with Saima Rathore (Biomedical Informatics, Neurology) and Qi Zhang (Pharmacology and Chemical Biology). BrightFocus provided 62 grants to scientists studying Alzheimer’s, macular degeneration and glaucoma.
Birey says his lab’s project bridges two previously separate domains of Alzheimer’s research: “vulnerable neuromodulatory systems” and the “cholesterol hypothesis.” Using advanced assembloid models, investigators will study how a recently identified Alzheimer’s risk factor (ABCA7) disrupts cholesterol regulation and whether boosting serotonin availability can restore healthy function.