50 Heroes: Dr. Sid O’Bryant

June 8, 2020

Nearly two decades ago, Dr. Sid O’Bryant set out to develop a blood test to detect Alzheimer’s disease at the earliest stage possible.

Today, the first study of a blood test to detect Alzheimer’s disease within a primary care setting is underway at The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth.

The simple test would be a game-changer in the diagnosis of early Alzheimer’s and if successful, could detect the disease earlier, easier and at a lower cost, said Dr. O’Bryant, Executive Director of the Institute for Translational Research and Dr. Joe and Peggy Schooler Endowed Chair in Pharmacology and Neuroscience.

As one of the world’s leading experts in blood-based biomarkers of Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases, Dr. O’Bryant is dedicated to bringing novel diagnostics and innovative treatments to those with Down syndrome, Lewy Body disease and Parkinson’s disease.

Robert McClain, PhD, Associate Vice President Research & Development, praised Dr. O’Bryant for his dedication.

“Dr. O’Bryant is a true innovator in every sense of the word and a role model for advancing translational research to meet unmet medical needs,” he said.

He is also a global leader in health disparities in brain aging. He leads the one-of-a-kind Health & Aging Brain among Latino Elders (HABLE) study, which is the most comprehensive study of Mexican-American brain aging to date.

Through HABLE, he and his team have assessed nearly 1,000 older Mexican Americans. The study will determine if the underlying causes for Alzheimer’s disease vary between racial and ethnic groups so appropriate precision medicine therapies can be created.

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