The Rainwater Charitable Foundation (RCF) is proud to award Kaj Blennow, M.D., Ph.D., University of Gothenburg, with the 2025 Rainwater Prize for Outstanding Innovation in Neurodegenerative Research of $400,000.

The Rainwater Prize^TM Program, established by the RCF in 2018, aims to honor scientific advancements in primary tauopathies and motivate researchers in the field of neurodegenerative disease research. By recognizing and rewarding exemplary researchers like Dr. Blennow, the prize highlights significant accomplishments that drive us closer to treatments and a cure for primary tauopathies, like progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), corticobasal degeneration (CBD) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD).

Dr. Blennow is recognized for his instrumental role in the development of early clinical diagnostic tools for Alzheimer’s disease, specifically as it relates to blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers and tau pathology. He is a Professor and Academic Chair in Clinical Neurochemistry at the University of Gothenburg, and Head of the Neurochemistry Lab at Sahlgrenska University Hospital. Over the past decades, Dr. Blennow’s biomarker research findings have laid the foundation for Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis. These newly discovered liquid biomarkers have also helped standardize how scientists assess the effects of potential treatments for tauopathies.

Dr. Blennow is the principal author on the first publications highlighting the development of assay methods for three core biomarkers: total tau (T-tau), β-amyloid 1-42 (Aβ42), and phosphorylated tau (P-tau). As a trained physician and scientist, Dr. Blennow has focused on validating these diagnostic tools to benefit providers and their patients. In fact, he’s supported numerous FDA-approved assays such as the β-amyloid 1-42, T-tau, and P-tau 181 on the Elecsys and LUMIPULSE platforms.

In addition to his research discoveries and clinical work, Dr. Blennow is an active member of the international research community. He currently serves as the President of the Society for CSF Analysis and Clinical Neurochemistry and as a member of several international biomarker working groups. He also has an extensive track record of mentorship of emerging scientists, supervising over 45 PhD students.

Jeremy Smith, President of the RCF, stated that, “Dr. Blennow’s receipt of the Outstanding Innovation in Neurodegenerative Research Prize aligns with Richard Rainwater’s goal to advance our understanding of tauopathies—and to establish a way to not only diagnose these devastating diseases, but to track the progression and evaluate the effect of treatments.”

The impact of Dr. Blennow’s work will be felt for years to come, and the RCF is proud to honor him with the 2025 Rainwater Prize for Outstanding Innovation in Neurodegenerative Research.

Interested in exploring the RCF’s previous prize awardees and their cutting-edge research? Visit the Rainwater Prize Program to learn more.