Charles Piller

in their laboratory work. And these are so competitive, incredibly hard to get. And often now you're seeing scientists waiting until their 40s to get these R01 grants that can kind of set them on their path. I think it's partly that the competition is a good thing because sometimes the best ideas rise to the top.

in their laboratory work. And these are so competitive, incredibly hard to get. And often now you're seeing scientists waiting until their 40s to get these R01 grants that can kind of set them on their path. I think it's partly that the competition is a good thing because sometimes the best ideas rise to the top.

in their laboratory work. And these are so competitive, incredibly hard to get. And often now you're seeing scientists waiting until their 40s to get these R01 grants that can kind of set them on their path. I think it's partly that the competition is a good thing because sometimes the best ideas rise to the top.

Sometimes it's a terrible thing because a lot of great ideas get squeezed out of the system and conventional wisdom can ascend and dominate and become sort of impossible to get away from for certain people. Let me give you an example of how that, I think, has had a deleterious effect on Alzheimer's disease. So some listeners might be familiar with something called the amyloid hypothesis.

Sometimes it's a terrible thing because a lot of great ideas get squeezed out of the system and conventional wisdom can ascend and dominate and become sort of impossible to get away from for certain people. Let me give you an example of how that, I think, has had a deleterious effect on Alzheimer's disease. So some listeners might be familiar with something called the amyloid hypothesis.

Sometimes it's a terrible thing because a lot of great ideas get squeezed out of the system and conventional wisdom can ascend and dominate and become sort of impossible to get away from for certain people. Let me give you an example of how that, I think, has had a deleterious effect on Alzheimer's disease. So some listeners might be familiar with something called the amyloid hypothesis.

This is the dominant hypothesis within Alzheimer's disease. And to state it quite simply, it involves the idea that

This is the dominant hypothesis within Alzheimer's disease. And to state it quite simply, it involves the idea that

This is the dominant hypothesis within Alzheimer's disease. And to state it quite simply, it involves the idea that

deposits of these amyloid proteins, which are sometimes called the sticky plaques that accumulate in a person's brain, they also occur in other forms, forms that can dissolve in the fluid that surrounds your brain, that these amyloid proteins lead to a cascade of biochemical effects in your brain that ultimately result in dementia.

deposits of these amyloid proteins, which are sometimes called the sticky plaques that accumulate in a person's brain, they also occur in other forms, forms that can dissolve in the fluid that surrounds your brain, that these amyloid proteins lead to a cascade of biochemical effects in your brain that ultimately result in dementia.

deposits of these amyloid proteins, which are sometimes called the sticky plaques that accumulate in a person's brain, they also occur in other forms, forms that can dissolve in the fluid that surrounds your brain, that these amyloid proteins lead to a cascade of biochemical effects in your brain that ultimately result in dementia.

This idea has had such dominance, and since its ascendancy about 30 years ago, has literally crowded out a lot of other ideas because the funding has been so robust for the amyloid hypothesis that a lot of investigators feel that their best chance of success in the field, a field that they care deeply about and may have innovative ideas about, but they know they might have to view as closely as they can to that hypothesis in order to be funded because of

This idea has had such dominance, and since its ascendancy about 30 years ago, has literally crowded out a lot of other ideas because the funding has been so robust for the amyloid hypothesis that a lot of investigators feel that their best chance of success in the field, a field that they care deeply about and may have innovative ideas about, but they know they might have to view as closely as they can to that hypothesis in order to be funded because of

This idea has had such dominance, and since its ascendancy about 30 years ago, has literally crowded out a lot of other ideas because the funding has been so robust for the amyloid hypothesis that a lot of investigators feel that their best chance of success in the field, a field that they care deeply about and may have innovative ideas about, but they know they might have to view as closely as they can to that hypothesis in order to be funded because of

bias in the system associated with it. Now, I'm happy to report that it's not like all research in the field is strictly about that. There are new ideas coming to the fore that I think are innovative and interesting and are beginning to get funding. And of course, there's always people who are interested in exploring prevention associated with neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's, that

bias in the system associated with it. Now, I'm happy to report that it's not like all research in the field is strictly about that. There are new ideas coming to the fore that I think are innovative and interesting and are beginning to get funding. And of course, there's always people who are interested in exploring prevention associated with neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's, that

bias in the system associated with it. Now, I'm happy to report that it's not like all research in the field is strictly about that. There are new ideas coming to the fore that I think are innovative and interesting and are beginning to get funding. And of course, there's always people who are interested in exploring prevention associated with neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's, that

that merits a lot of attention and can have some success. So all of these things are happening simultaneously. But when you have one idea that has so deeply captured a lot of the scientific thinking in the field, it can crowd out things. I like to think of it a little bit as, you know, if you want to use an analogy to why do farmers rotate crops?

that merits a lot of attention and can have some success. So all of these things are happening simultaneously. But when you have one idea that has so deeply captured a lot of the scientific thinking in the field, it can crowd out things. I like to think of it a little bit as, you know, if you want to use an analogy to why do farmers rotate crops?