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Blog co-authored by:
Rebekah Feng, Program Director
Division of Neuroscience, NIA
Malgorzata Klauzinska, Program Director
Division of Cancer Biology, NCI
Join us for the joint NIA-NCI workshop: Cancer-Alzheimer’s Disease Inverse Correlation (CADIC) - From Biological Mechanisms to Therapeutic Potential to be held virtually on March 25-26, 2026. This workshop is co-hosted by NIA and NCI, with participation from the Alzheimer's Association, the American Cancer Society, Susan G. Komen, and the American Brain Tumor Association.
Two decades of epidemiological research have consistently demonstrated an inverse correlation between cancer and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). While both conditions are linked to advanced age, the risk of AD in cancer patients is reduced by 25–35%, and conversely, the risk of cancer in AD patients is reduced by 50%. This curious inverse correlation is corroborated by neuropathological findings and appears unique to AD, as it is not observed in other age-related neurodegenerative diseases. This suggests an important biological divergence that may offer important insights into the underlying mechanisms of both diseases.
While this inverse association between cancer and AD is well-documented, a significant gap remains in the mechanistic understanding of this phenomenon. The bidirectional inverse correlation between cancer and AD offers an exciting opportunity to drive innovation in both fields and create the potential to uncover novel therapeutic targets. By connecting these distinct disciplines, we aim to drive meaningful progress in two of the most devastating public health challenges of our time.
To address existing research gaps and to advance this innovative area of science, NIA and NCI extramural staff established the CADIC (Cancer-AD Inverse Correlation) Collaborative aimed at fostering organic collaborations, building of cross-disciplinary teams with expertise spanning both cancer and AD, and promoting the sharing of data and resources. This workshop will serve as the official launch of the CADIC Collaborative.
Additional information, including the agenda, speaker bios, and registration, can be found at the NIA CADIC Workshop Registration webpage .
Please contact NIA Program Director, Dr. Rebekah Feng (Rebekah.feng@nih.gov ) or NCI Program Director, Dr. Malgorzata Klauzinska ( malgorzata.klauzinska@nih.gov ) with any questions about the workshop.
If you need reasonable accommodations to participate in this event, please contact Dr. Rebekah Feng . Requests should be made at least five days before the workshop.
Meetings 2026-03-03T00:00:00Z