Robert C. Strauss Neurocognitive Research Program
As the largest research program in brain aging, memory loss, and Alzheimer’s Disease in northern New England, Acadia Hospital maintains a strong commitment to giving Mainers access to the latest and most promising research therapies without having to go to the large academic centers in Boston or elsewhere.
Participation in research trials not only give our patients and families access to potentially game-changing treatments, but offers them hope - not only for their own future, but their children’s future as well. Finding new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease is our primary mission, but we have expanded our focus to include other disorders affecting cognition and behavior, such as frontotemporal degenerations and Lewy Body disease. We work in close collaboration with the Clinical Research Center at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center and have key research partnerships with experts in cognitive aging and dementia at Massachusetts General Hospital, the Jackson Laboratory, and the University of Maine.
In 2020, our Alzheimer’s disease clinical research program was named in honor of Robert “Bob” Strauss through a generous gift by his long-time partner, Camilla Cochrane. We are extraordinarily grateful for Camilla’s support and recognition of the importance of the work that we do.
Recruitment
We generally recruit from the Northern Light Acadia Hospital Mood and Memory Clinic, but accept referrals for trials from the community, especially for people with normal cognition who are concerned about developing dementia, and patients diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer’s disease who are motivated to participate in a clinical trial without having to go to Boston.
MAINAH - Join our Research Registry!
The Maine Initiative for Neurologic Aging and Health, or MAINAH, is both our research registry and a mechanism to reach Mainers to promote healthy brain aging. To become a part of the MAINAH program or to learn more, click here.
Open studies
If you have any questions about a specific patient or just want to learn more about what trials are available in Maine, call or write us.
Lead Coordinator is Cindy Whited, RN, cwhited@northernlight.org, Office 207-973-7596 / Cell 207-735-4276
Principle Investigator is Cliff Singer, MD, csinger@northernlight.org, Office 207-973-6100