Norman L. Foster, M.D.

Professor, Department of Neurology
Director, Center for Alzheimer’s Care, Imaging and Research
The University of Utah School of Medicine

Senior Investigator, The Brain Institute at
The University of Utah

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Shortening the "Long Goodbye"

Alzheimer’s disease is merciless. It ravages the brain, causing precious memories to slip away, eroding one’s very personality. The often slow, downward spiral is agonizing for patients and family members alike. Fittingly, clinicans refer to this time as the "long goodbye."

As a neurologist and former Associate Director of the Michigan Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Dr. Norman Foster is all too familiar with the difficulties of the disease. Although we cannot cure Alzheimer’s yet, Dr. Foster knows that if we could delay its onset, thus shortening the "long goodbye," we could help make the lives of those suffering from the disease richer and more productive.

Dr. Foster’s desire to improve Alzheimer’s care through research fueled his decision to join the Department of Neurology and the Brain Institute at the University of Utah and step in as director of University Health Care’s new Center for Alzheimer’s Care, Imaging and Research (CACIR). Established in 2006, the Center is the first academic clinic in the Intermountain West solely devoted to the care of Alzheimer’s and related disorders.

Bringing Innovative Technologies to the Clinic

Recently, Dr. Foster took part in breakthrough research showing that PET imaging can distinguish Alzheimer’s from other types of dementia. The challenge he confronts now is to streamline this technology for clinical use. He is relying on collaborations with Brain Institute members to shorten the time required for advanced image analysis from weeks to hours. This will help clinicians apply diagnosis information to treatment decisions more quickly than ever.

"To achieve our goals we will depend upon the University of Utah’s unparalleled strengths in computer science, bioengineering, and radiology," Dr. Foster explains. "This is why the center could not exist anywhere else."

Why Utah?

Ultimately, it was an easy choice for Dr. Norman Foster to move to Utah after living in Michigan for more than 20 years. In Utah, he saw backing at the highest levels for the work he wants to do. "With the support of the Utah legislature, the University of Utah has established the Brain Institute, whose initial focus is on brain imaging—precisely my area of research," he says. "I also was attracted by the University’s leadership in computing and by its internationally recognized expertise in image analysis."

Dr. Foster finds Utah’s spirit of collaboration remarkable—and essential to today’s kind of research. "I appreciate the support for dementia research among Utah residents and community groups I meet. Furthermore, there are unique resources for dementia research in Utah."

He looks forward to collaborating with colleagues at Utah State University who are conducting the Cache County Study on Memory, Health and Aging. "Thus far, investigators from other states have done a lot of the work in dementia research, but our proximity and the support of collaborative state efforts such as USTAR will make it possible to do much more here in Utah," Dr. Foster says.

Dr. Foster also plans to leverage the Utah Population Database, another of Utah’s unique resources, to explore fully the genetic basis of Alzheimer’s and related disorders.

"Utah now has the right environment for scientific advancement," he concludes. "Support of state legislatures has been important in obtaining federal funding for Alzheimer’s research centers and is key to the success of our scientific enterprise. I am pleased to be part of this exciting period of scientific advances in Utah."

Recognizing Alzheimer’s as Not One Disease, But Many

Since Alzheimer’s was first described in the early 1900s, physicians noted varied symptoms among patients. Some first have trouble with memory, some lose the ability to speak early on, and others exhibit odd behaviors. For years, physicians believed that behavioral differences arose from the patient’s personality—for example, a shy person would become reclusive. Research has since demonstrated that this is not the case. Instead, it turns out that Alzheimer’s comes in many forms.

Dr. Foster’s Center will use imaging to better understand the mechanisms that cause different forms of Alzheimer’s. His approach will illuminate how specific brain regions differ among patients who exhibit varied behaviors. Ultimately, Dr. Foster believes, this knowledge will help scientists design specialized treatments to combat each form of the disease.

Alzheimer’s in the Intermountain West

Over the next 20 years, the Intermountain West is projected to see the largest increase in Alzheimer’s disease cases of any region in the United States. While this makes Utah the perfect location to open an Alzheimer’s care center, it also means that any single facility cannot possibly treat everyone in need. Because of this, Dr. Foster believes that the clinic has a duty to share with others what they learn through their research.

Funding brought to Utah

Dr. Norman Foster brings two research grants, totaling $1.24 million, to the University of Utah.