Ludwig Pilot Grant Program

Carol and Gene Ludwing Pilot Grant Program (PGP) is designed to support innovative research projects with the potential to define the principles that guide inflammatory interactions within the brain, with an emphasis on neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s Disease through the support of innovative research. The program provides crucial seed money for investigators to explore innovative new directions and gather preliminary data for future funding opportunities. The awards are categorized into 1-year Pilot Project Awards (PPA) and 2-year Development Awards (DA), designed to foster high-impact and transformative research that extends beyond ongoing funded projects.

The Carol and Gene Ludwig Program for the Study of Neuroimmune Interactions in Dementia is proud to announce the recipients of the 2025 Pilot Grant Program.

• Emilia Favuzzi, Assistant Professor, Department of Neuroscience
  Impact of peripheral immune challenges on microglia and neurons across aging

• Shawn Ferguson, Associate Professor, Departments of Cell Biology & Neuroscience
  Intersection of Innate Immunity with Lysosome Quality Control in ALS-FTD

• Yifei Cai, Associate Research Scientist, Department of Neurology
  Investigate the role of complement pathway in axonal pathology in Alzheimer’s disease

• David Martinez, Assistant Professor, Department of Immunobiology
  Encephalitic viral infection, inflammation, and onset of neurodegenerative disease

• Le Zhang, Assistant Professor of Neurology and of Neuroscience
  
• Rui Chang, Associate Professor of Neuroscience and of Cellular and Molecular Physiology
  Elucidating Neuroimmune Interactions in Parkinson's Disease Using a Novel Humanized Mouse Model

Congratulations to all the recipients! We look forward to seeing the advancements and breakthroughs that these projects will bring to the study of neuroimmune interactions in dementia.