Rice establishes Amyloid Research Center to tackle neurodegenerative diseases

Rice University Nov. 18 launched the Amyloid Mechanism and Disease Center, a new campus hub dedicated to uncovering the molecular origins of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other amyloid-related diseases.

Led by biophysicist Pernilla Wittung-Stafshede, the center brings together researchers from across campus to study how protein aggregates called amyloids form, spread and harm brain cells. The goal is to deepen understanding of these processes and pave the way for new approaches to prevention and treatment.

“This is close to my heart,” said Wittung-Stafshede, the Charles W. Duncan Jr.-Welch Chair in Chemistry and the executive director of the Amyloid Mechanism and Disease Center. “Neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s are on the rise as people live longer, and age is the largest risk factor. It affects everyone. My father died of dementia a few years ago.”

An urgent research need

Amyloids are protein polymers that form when proteins misfold and clump together. Their accumulation in the brain, often referred to as plaques, can kill nerve cells and contribute to cognitive decline. Despite decades of research, no cures exist. Current treatments provide limited symptom relief and do not address the underlying causes.

As populations age, the incidence of neurodegenerative diseases is sharply increasing worldwide. Projections indicate that cases could reach around 78 million by 2030 and 139 million by 2050, according to Alzheimer’s Disease International.

To help address this challenge, Rice recently established the Brain Institute, which unites research in neuroengineering, brain and society and neuroscience, along with the Amyloid Mechanism and Disease Center, the neuroscience branch of the institute.

The center connects Rice faculty in chemistry, biophysics, cell biology and biochemistry. While its primary focus is basic research to advance understanding, diagnosis and treatment of amyloid-related diseases, the center will also work with the Texas Medical Center, the world’s largest health care complex, to turn lab discoveries into real progress for patients.

“We will complement the Texas Medical Center,” Wittung-Stafshede said. “We will collaborate with their experts, who will take our ideas into their world.”

Director brings global expertise

Wittung-Stafshede, a member of the Nobel Prize committee for chemistry and a fellow of several European science academies, was recruited to Rice this year through the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. A Rice faculty member from 2004-08, she returned to the university after two decades working at other institutions in Sweden, where she led pioneering work on how metal-binding proteins and protein clumps affect disease.

Her recent study, published in Advanced Science, found that protein clumps associated with Parkinson’s can behave like enzymes, consuming the brain’s energy molecule, ATP. This research suggests a new understanding of how amyloids may harm cells beyond mere accumulation.

“These types of questions are what we want to study,” Wittung-Stafshede said. “We need to investigate the causes, triggers and mechanisms driving these diseases, so we can find ways to stop them, preferably before they begin.”

Looking ahead

The Amyloid Mechanism and Disease Center plans to grow its team, support new collaborations and serve as a launchpad for external research funding. It will also organize seminars and training programs to strengthen the neuroscience community where amyloids have a central role.

The center’s kickoff event, scheduled for Jan. 21, 2026, will include presentations by Rice faculty. Organizers hope it will initiate a broader discussion on how fundamental research can address some of the world’s fastest-growing medical challenges.

“To make a real difference, we have to go all the way and find a cure,” Wittung-Stafshede said. “At Rice, with the Amyloid Mechanism and Disease Center as a catalyst, we have the people and ideas to open new doors toward solutions.”