H.M. Queen Silvia’s Prize for a young Alzheimer’s researcher, instituted by Alzheimerfonden, was presented to DDLS Fellow Jacob Vogel, assistant professor at the department of clinical sciences at Lund University this year in recognition of his contributions to Alzheimer’s research.
“I am deeply honored to receive this award, which recognizes early career researchers working in the Alzheimer’s disease field in Sweden and to be among the list of researchers who have received the same award over the last ten years, many of whom are role models of mine. I am also very grateful to her majesty Queen Silvia and the Swedish Alzheimer’s Foundation for their commitment to promoting and supporting Alzheimer’s disease research in Sweden.”, says Jacob Vogel.
Jacob, despite being in the early stages of his career, has already made significant contributions to Alzheimer’s research. Notably, he spearheaded an influential study demonstrating that Alzheimer’s-related brain changes vary among individuals, suggesting the existence of four distinct “types” of Alzheimer’s disease. This insight holds promise for tailoring more personalized treatments for patients, sparking numerous global investigations.
“I am extremely proud to have Dr. Vogel in the Swedish research team and eagerly look forward to following his continued career. I am convinced that Dr. Vogel is a highly deserving recipient of the honor and recognition this prize entails, and I believe that this acknowledgment will promote his continued development as a leading researcher in neurodegenerative diseases,” writes Oskar Hansson, Professor of Neurology at Lund University.
Jacob has also become a leading expert in tau imaging, a protein implicated in damaging brain cells and causing cognitive impairments in Alzheimer’s disease. His involvement in early studies characterizing tau positron emission tomography (PET) in the human brain has solidified his authority in the field. Particularly noteworthy is Vogel’s innovative application of techniques from the scientific literature on infectious diseases, providing compelling evidence that pathological tau can spread in the brain using neurons as “highways.” This theory has gained immense importance in the current era of clinical trials.
“I would also like to say a special thanks to national research infrastructure like SciLifeLab and DDLS, thanks to them Sweden is in a unique position to leverage the most cutting-edge research tools to tackle tough medical research questions. I look forward to using these resources toward the goal of understanding and eventually treating and preventing Alzheimer’s disease” says Jacob.
This text was originally published on the the Swedish Alzheimer’s Foundation's website.