Leading Alzheimer’s Disease Research Nonprofit Welcomes Four Renowned Experts in Therapeutics Development

WELLESLEY HILLS, Mass., Sept. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Cure Alzheimer’s Fund (CureAlz) today announced the appointments of Drs. Michelle Arkin, Ronald B. DeMattos, Donna M. Huryn, and Kalpana Merchant to the organization’s Scientific Advisory Board (SAB).

The SAB provides strategic guidance on CureAlz’s scientific direction and research investment strategy. Drawing on extensive experience translating scientific discoveries into therapies, its members help ensure CureAlz’s research investments focus on the most promising opportunities to prevent Alzheimer’s disease, reduce risk, and accelerate the development of new treatments that can improve the lives of people affected by the disease.

“The addition of Drs. Arkin, DeMattos, Huryn, and Merchant further strengthens an already-exceptional Scientific Advisory Board and reinforces our commitment to identifying and funding the highest-impact Alzheimer’s research,” said Meg Smith, CEO of Cure Alzheimer’s Fund. “The SAB’s guidance helps ensure every research dollar is invested where it has the greatest potential to accelerate discoveries that lead to more effective treatments for people living with Alzheimer’s disease—and ultimately, to a cure.”

CureAlz does not accept funding or direction from pharmaceutical or biotech companies but values the insights and expertise SAB members developed during their industry tenures.

Collectively, the four new SAB members have decades of experience spanning target identification, drug discovery, and clinical development of Alzheimer’s treatments. 

Michelle Arkin, Ph.D., is Professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Vice Dean for Research Technology and Entrepreneurship in the School of Pharmacy, and Executive Director of the Small Molecule Discovery Center at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Arkin’s chemical biology lab develops methods and molecules to target “undruggable” proteins—drawing on prior industry experience at Sunesis Pharmaceuticals and ongoing roles advising pharmaceutical companies and scientific journals, and as co-founder of four therapeutics startups.

Ronald B. DeMattos, Ph.D., previously spent more than 20 years in neuroscience discovery at Eli Lilly, most recently serving as Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer for Neurobiologics. He led the development of numerous therapeutic candidates that advanced to clinical studies in Alzheimer’s patients, including donanemab—the FDA-cleared amyloid-lowering antibody for the treatment of early Alzheimer’s disease sold under the brand name Kisunla™.

Donna M. Huryn, Ph.D., is Professor of Practice in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Pennsylvania. Her laboratory designs small-molecule probes and drug candidates to treat neurodegenerative, kidney, and genetic diseases, building on an earlier career in pharmaceutical drug discovery at Hoffmann-La Roche and Wyeth Research. Dr. Huryn is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Chemical Society (ACS), and was inducted into the ACS Division of Medicinal Chemistry Hall of Fame.

Kalpana Merchant, Ph.D., is a translational neuroscientist with more than 30 years of experience in drug development for neurological disorders and formerly was Chief Scientific Officer for Tailored Therapeutics–Neuroscience at Eli Lilly. She is Founder, President and Chief Science Officer of TransThera Consulting Co., an Adjunct Professor of Neurology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, and serves as an advisor and board member for institutes and foundations.

About Cure Alzheimer’s Fund

Cure Alzheimer’s Fund (CureAlz) is a nonprofit dedicated to funding the most promising research to prevent, slow, or reverse Alzheimer’s disease. Since its founding in 2004, CureAlz has provided $270 million to 400 of the world’s leading researchers and has achieved a 100% perfect score and a Four-Star rating for 14 consecutive years from Charity Navigator. The organization’s unwavering focus on finding a cure is made possible by our Board of Directors, Trustees, and Sustaining Partners who empower CureAlz operations and allow 100% of your gift to support our research program. For more information, visit CureAlz.org.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Stephanie Wasco
swasco@CureAlz.org
781-304-8614

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cure-alzheimers-fund-expands-its-scientific-advisory-board-302872977.html

SOURCE Alzheimer’s Disease Research Foundation