Sanders-Brown Center on Aging

What Sanders-Brown Center on Aging does

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging is an academic research center established in 1985 within the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, located in Lexington, Kentucky. The center is dedicated to basic and translational research on Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, with active programs investigating astrocyte function, brain iron accumulation and cognitive health, dietary interventions for brain health, and gene therapy approaches for neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson's disease. Its research architecture is multi-laboratory, with collaborative teams studying different aspects of dementia pathology to identify new drug targets.

The center operates as a non-profit research entity embedded within a public state university, with no commercial pricing or product sales. Funding flows from federal grants—primarily from the National Institute on Aging—and private donations, most notably the Pat Summitt Foundation. The center also runs educational and training programs, including the Kentucky Postbaccalaureate Alzheimer's Disease Research Education Program (a five-year NIA-funded initiative launched in 2025) and the Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Monthly Seminar Series. A telehealth initiative in Franklin County, Kentucky extends the center's dementia care programs beyond the Lexington campus.

The center's go-to-market is entirely institutional and academic: outputs are disseminated through research publications, academic conferences, and university communications channels. There are no commercial customers, no enterprise sales motion, and no venture capital involvement. The center serves graduate trainees, early-career researchers, and the broader dementia research community, while contributing to clinical care programs through the University of Kentucky healthcare system.

Name

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging

Legal name

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging

Website

https://medicine.uky.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging is an academic research center within the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, conducting basic and translational research on Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, training early-career researchers, and operating dementia care programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Biomedical Research

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHSABAEAJ

Dementia Care Coordination & Care Planning

Home & Personal Services/Elder Care & In-Home Care Services/Dementia & Alzheimer’s In-Home Care

SECONDARYBPAGAEAF

Elder Services & Aging Support

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Services & Community Support (Food, Housing, Family)

Keywords

• Alzheimer's research
• Dementia research
• Aging research
• Biomedical education
• Neurodegenerative research

Headquarters

HQ city

Lexington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging is an academic research center within the University of Kentucky College of Medicine that conducts basic and translational research on Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, including studies on astrocytes, brain iron accumulation, dietary interventions, and gene therapy approaches for neurodegenerative conditions. The center also delivers education and training programs such as the Kentucky Postbaccalaureate Alzheimer's Disease Research Education Program, hosts monthly research seminars, and runs telehealth-based dementia care initiatives.

Product overview

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging is an academic research center within the University of Kentucky College of Medicine dedicated to dementia and Alzheimer's disease research and care programs. The center conducts basic and translational research focused on understanding aging-related cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases. Research activities include studying the role of astrocytes in Alzheimer's disease, investigating brain iron accumulation and cognitive health, exploring dietary interventions for brain health, and developing gene therapy approaches for conditions like Parkinson's disease. The center also operates educational and training programs including the Kentucky Postbaccalaureate Alzheimer's Disease Research Education Program and hosts the Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Monthly Seminar Series featuring external researchers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Astrocyte Research in Alzheimer's Disease A coordinated multi-laboratory research program focused on studying the role of astrocytes in Alzheimer's disease and related dementias to identify new drug targets for dementia treatment. Funded by a $20.5 million NIA grant and executed by Sanders-Brown researchers.
• Kentucky Postbaccalaureate Alzheimer's Disease Research Education Program A five-year postbaccalaureate education and training program that prepares recent graduates in biomedical and behavioral sciences for careers in Alzheimer's disease and dementia research through hands-on research, coursework, and mentorship.
• Harmony Intervention Program and Telehealth Dementia Care Initiative Dementia care and intervention services for patients and caregivers in Kentucky, including the Harmony Intervention Program and a new telehealth initiative in Franklin County that supports dementia and Alzheimer's care delivery.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center (Washington University in St. Louis): NIA-funded Alzheimer's Disease Research Center conducting basic and translational dementia research within a leading academic medical center. Highly comparable to Sanders-Brown in funding structure, research scope, and academic-mission orientation.
• Mayo Clinic Alzheimer's Disease Research Center: NIA-funded Alzheimer's Disease Research Center focused on dementia mechanisms, biomarkers, and translational research at Mayo Clinic. Comparable as a major academic Alzheimer's research center competing for similar federal grants.
• Massachusetts Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (MGH): NIA-funded ADRC at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School focused on Alzheimer's disease mechanisms, biomarkers, and clinical research. Directly comparable in research scope, funding model, and academic-medical-center affiliation.
• Bryan Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (Duke University): NIA-funded ADRC at Duke University conducting dementia research with a focus on biomarkers, brain aging, and care. Comparable to Sanders-Brown as an academic Alzheimer's research center within a major medical school.
• Goizueta Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (Emory University): NIA-funded ADRC at Emory University focused on Alzheimer's disease mechanisms, vascular contributions to dementia, and translational research. Comparable as a southeastern-region academic Alzheimer's research center.
• Indiana Alzheimer Disease Research Center (Indiana University): NIA-funded ADRC at Indiana University focused on Alzheimer's and dementia research with strong ties to community-based care and biomarker studies. Comparable as a mid-sized academic ADRC with a regional care mission.

Broad incumbents

• USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology: Larger, established academic gerontology institution conducting aging and dementia research with a broader life-course focus than Sanders-Brown. Comparable in academic-research mission but operates at greater scale and broader scope.
• Alzheimer's Association: Large national non-profit funding Alzheimer's research, advocacy, and care programs. Comparable in mission orientation and funding role but operates at a much larger national scale than Sanders-Brown's regional academic focus.

Others

• UK Sanders-Brown Building / University of Kentucky College of Medicine: The parent institution of Sanders-Brown Center on Aging. The College of Medicine provides shared infrastructure, faculty, and the broader research environment in which the center operates — relevant as an internal reference rather than an external competitor.
• Pat Summitt Foundation: Non-profit foundation supporting Alzheimer's and dementia research and care. Comparable as a funding partner and ecosystem actor in the dementia research space, but not a research center itself.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/universityofkentucky

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sanders-Brown Center on Aging