Two alumni of the Charleston Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease (CCAD) are part of a groundbreaking effort recognized with a major international award for innovation in Alzheimer’s research.

A team led by Kuan-Lin Huang, PhD, of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has been named a winner of the $1 million Alzheimer’s Insights AI Prize, awarded by the Alzheimer’s Disease Data Initiative. CCAD alumnus Towfique Raj also contributed to the award-winning work.

The prize honors the development of Biomni-AD, an advanced AI-powered “co-scientist” designed to dramatically accelerate the process of generating scientific insights from complex biomedical data. The platform enables researchers to move from raw data to actionable findings in minutes rather than months, addressing one of the most significant bottlenecks in Alzheimer’s research.

By integrating diverse datasets including genomics, proteomics, clinical data, and more—Biomni-AD allows scientists to ask complex questions in natural language and receive fully executable analysis plans with transparent, reproducible outputs. The tool is designed to enhance, not replace, human researchers, supporting faster hypothesis generation and validation.

The recognition reflects both the urgency of advancing new approaches to Alzheimer’s disease and the growing role of artificial intelligence in accelerating discovery. The winning solution will be made freely available to researchers worldwide, helping to democratize access to advanced analytics and foster global collaboration.

This achievement highlights the continued impact of CCAD alumni in driving innovation and shaping the future of Alzheimer’s research.

Read the full press release from Mount Sinai here.