WRAP leaders discuss the study’s history and next steps
What began with a single participant in 2001 has grown into one of the world’s largest and longest-running studies of Alzheimer’s disease. To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention (WRAP), a recent episode of the Dementia Matters podcast brought together three leaders whose work has been instrumental to WRAP’s success: Dr. Mark Sager, WRAP co-founder, and current WRAP multi-principal investigators Dr. Sterling Johnson and Dr. Jessica Caldwell.
Looking ahead, Dr. Caldwell expressed optimism about WRAP’s continued impact, noting that the study is well-positioned to answer emerging questions about brain health, prevention, and resilience. As she explained, WRAP’s future lies in continuing to follow participants over time while integrating new scientific approaches that can deepen understanding of Alzheimer’s disease and help move the field toward more personalized prevention strategies.
“The future of WRAP is incredibly exciting because we have this remarkable group of participants and twenty-five years of data that allows us to ask new questions we couldn’t have imagined when the study began,” Dr. Caldwell said. “As science advances, WRAP will continue to help us understand how to promote brain health and reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease for future generations.”
Listen to the full discussion: “Reflecting on 25 Years of the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention” on the podcast website.
25 years of discovery
For 25 years, WRAP has been at the forefront of research aimed at understanding the factors that influence brain health, cognitive aging, and Alzheimer’s disease risk. As one of the world’s largest and longest-running studies of individuals at increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease, WRAP has followed participants over decades, creating a rich scientific resource that has contributed to hundreds of discoveries and helped advance research on prevention, early detection, biomarkers, lifestyle factors, and resilience.
Today, as WRAP celebrates its 25th anniversary, we honor the dedication of its participants, researchers, and collaborators whose commitment has transformed the study into an internationally recognized platform for scientific innovation. This milestone is both a celebration of past achievements and an opportunity to look ahead to the next generation of discoveries that will continue to shape our understanding of cognitive health.
On October 7, a portion of our team attended a day of training, discussion about the research’s strategic goals and to take a moment to recognize the anniversary and study’s significance. On behalf of the entire WRAP team in the past and present, our staff thanks the dedicated research participants enrolled in the WRAP study over the past 25 years. We know that our science would not be possible without the commitment of our research participants. Thank you, WRAP participants!
WRAP Photos
