Philanthropic awards will address pressing gaps in scientists’ understanding of tau protein and will foster scientific advancements in primary tauopathies

FORT WORTH, Texas, Feb. 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The Rainwater Charitable Foundation, one of the largest independent funders of neurodegenerative research that enables field-advancing programs, resources, and breakthrough discoveries for primary tauopathies, today announced the 2025 Rainwater Prize recipients. This prize recognizes scientific achievements in the field of neurodegenerative research and offers progress toward new treatments for diseases associated with the accumulation of tau protein in the brain. Kaj Blennow, M.D., Ph.D., University of Gothenburg, will be awarded the 2025 Outstanding Innovation in Neurodegenerative Research Prize of $400,000, and Bess Frost, Ph.D., Brown University, will be awarded the 2025 Rainwater Prize for Innovative Early-Career Scientist of $200,000. Both awardees will be honored for their achievements at the 2025 Tau Global Conference in London, on April 24-25, 2025. 

The Rainwater Prize Program highlights groundbreaking scientific discoveries and aims to fill the critical gaps in neurodegenerative disease research, supporting and incentivizing researchers that are addressing unmet needs in primary tauopathies, and moving the needle forward for cutting-edge treatments. Dr. Blennow will be recognized for his development of novel cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) and blood-based tests for Alzheimer’s disease-type tau pathology and his overall impact on the field of neurodegenerative research. Dr. Frost will be awarded this prize for her early career accomplishments and original contributions to new areas of tauopathy research, including the transmission of unique tau proteoforms and the activation of retrotransposons in disease. 

“We’re thrilled to honor these deserving researchers with this year’s Rainwater Prize for their impactful contributions within the field of neurodegenerative disease,” said Jeremy Smith, president of the Rainwater Charitable Foundation. “We’re dedicated to spotlighting novel research efforts, and we hope that by better understanding the complexities of tau pathology, we will see more treatment options for patients with primary tauopathies, like Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), and other neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.” 

Rainwater Prize for Outstanding Innovation in Neurodegenerative Research: Dr. Kaj Blennow, Professor and Academic Chair in Clinical Neurochemistry at the University of Gothenburg, and Head of the Neurochemistry Lab at Sahlgrenska University Hospital 

Dr. Blennow has played an instrumental role in the development of early clinical diagnostic tools for Alzheimer’s disease, specifically as it relates to blood and CSF biomarkers and tau pathology. Notably, he’s the principal author on the original publications for the development of analytical methods for the three core Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers, including total tau (T-tau), β-amyloid 1-42 (Aβ42), and phosphorylated tau (P-tau). These findings, like many groundbreaking scientific discoveries, were met with skepticism at the time of publication, but are now widely accepted as standard diagnostic tools around the globe. Dr. Blennow and his research team also published the first method papers using the Simoa technique to measure plasma Aβ42 and T-tau. More recently, he was the senior author of several papers on the development and clinical validation of new immunoassays and mass spectrometry methods for the key P-tau variants, including P-tau181, P-tau231, P-tau205, and P-tau217. These blood biomarkers continue to demonstrate strong results for early identifications of Alzheimer’s disease, showing great promise as a novel screening option to be utilized in clinical settings. 

“It’s a great honor to be recognized by the Rainwater Charitable Foundation and receive this special award,” said Dr. Blennow. “The prize encourages me to continue exploring Alzheimer’s disease and other tauopathies, helping further our understanding of neurodegenerative diseases and tau pathology in the brain.” 

Rainwater Prize for Innovative Early-Career Scientist: Dr. Bess Frost, Professor of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry in the Division of Biology and Medicine, Professor of Brain Science at the Robert J. and Nancy D. Carney Institute for Brain Science, and Salame-Feraud Director of the Center for Alzheimer’s Disease Research at Brown University 

Dr. Frost’s discoveries have changed our understanding of neurodegenerative diseases and the toxicity caused by tau protein in the brain. Her breakthrough findings show that tau toxicity can spread through cells similar to prion diseases, which occur when proteins in the body are misfolded. This once controversial idea is now mainstream, influencing new lines of research in toxic tau formations. Dr. Frost and her lab have also revealed how retrotransposons, DNA sequences known as “jumping genes,” are activated in Alzheimer’s disease and other tauopathies, and how this activation disrupts cell function and causes cognitive decline. These findings have launched new clinical trials, including Dr. Frost’s own open label Phase IIa trial targeting retrotransposon activation in patients at early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. 

“I’m honored to join the group of talented researchers recognized by this award,” said Dr. Frost. “This funding will allow us to broaden our scope regarding retrotransposon activation in tauopathy and devote more effort to developing potential treatments. It’s an exciting time to study neurodegeneration, and this support will help us move faster and go further in our research.” 

For more information on the 2025 Rainwater Prize winners, please visit www.rainwaterprize.org.  

About The Rainwater Charitable Foundation’s Medical Research 
The Rainwater Charitable Foundation (RCF) was created in the early 1990s by renowned private equity investor and philanthropist Richard E. Rainwater. When Richard was diagnosed with a rare neurodegenerative disease and primary tauopathy called Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), the RCF expanded its mission to accelerate the development of new diagnostics and treatments for tau-related neurodegenerative disorders. The RCF Medical Research Team support this focus by managing the Tau Consortium, the Rainwater Prize Program and the Tauopathy Challenge Workshop. With over $140 million invested in medical research to date, the RCF has helped to advance eight treatments into human trials. Currently the RCF supports a range of programs, including a focus on family economic security, medical research, and other initiatives that drive positive change. For more information, please visit rainwatercharitablefoundation.org.