As the coronavirus pandemic was upending daily life across the globe in early 2020, government officials challenged scientists to swiftly develop accurate and easy-to-use tests for COVID-19. It was a break in the traditional slog from idea to marketable medical tool. The effort, which included funding and support, proved so successful that it’s now a format for a new initiative funded by the National Institutes of Health. This time, it’s focused on tests and treatments for neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases and migraines. NIH chose the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and Howard University in Washington to lead a new incubator where scientific innovators can receive funding and mentoring from a diverse set of expert scientists and engineers for ideas that are at such an early stage that the government wouldn’t normally take the risk.
NIH expands faster path used to develop COVID-19 screening to tests, therapies for Alzheimer’s and other neurological disorders
October 17, 2022