HUMAN AMYLOID IMAGING CONFERENCE

The 17th edition of the HAI was held in San Juan, Puerto Rico on January 15-17, 2025.

HAI 2025

Dear Colleagues, Innovators, and Friends,

As the curtains close on HAI2025, I find myself reflecting on what has been a fantastic chapter in the history of the Human Amyloid Imaging Conference. Over three unforgettable days in the vibrant city of San Juan, we witnessed the convergence of groundbreaking science, passionate collaboration, and an unyielding commitment to advancing the field of neurodegenerative disease research.

This year’s conference truly set a new standard. From the 222 abstracts submitted, we showcased 174 poster presentations that turned our halls into hubs of discovery, 41 podium talks that sparked lively debates, 17 blitz presentations packed with energy and insight, and nine thought-provoking panel discussions that delved into the challenges and opportunities ahead. Our three keynote speakers reminded us of the power of innovation and bold thinking, inspiring us to look beyond the horizon and imagine what’s possible.

None of this would have been achievable without the incredible work of our committees—the Program Committee, Theme Co-Chairs, Award Judges, and Executive Committee. Each of you poured countless hours into ensuring HAI2025 was an enriching experience for everyone involved. To our sponsors—your support enables us to continue this essential work, and we are deeply grateful for your partnership.

And to you—our attendees, presenters, and participants—you brought the conference to life. From thought-provoking questions to shared laughter over cups of Puerto Rican coffee, every interaction helped forge connections and collaborations that will propel our field forward.

As we return to our labs, clinics, and institutions, let us carry the momentum of HAI2025 with us. Together, we are reshaping the landscape of amyloid imaging and driving the innovations that will ultimately improve lives worldwide.

Thank you for making HAI2025 an incredible success. Here’s to continued discovery, collaboration, and progress until we meet again!

Sincerely,

Keith Johnson, MD

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OBJECTIVES

The overall goal of the Human Amyloid Imaging conference is to support active communication and collaboration between academic and industry scientists doing cutting-edge research in human imaging of amyloid-beta, tau, and/or other biomarkers that pertain to Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders. The meeting will also provide related perspectives from neuropathology, neurochemistry, psychology, neurology, molecular imaging, clinical trials, and biomarker research.

1.

Attendees will have the opportunity to review the basic, fundamental principles of PET imaging of amyloid and tau radiotracers. This includes radiotracer synthesis, PET acquisition and data processing (e.g., application of corrections for the partial volume effect, co-registration with structural data). Aspects of radiotracer discovery and optimization and first in human applications are other important topics.

2.

Data analysis procedures discussed will include voxel-based and region-based imaging approaches, masking for vulnerable regions, evaluation of reference regions or standards, choice of statistical procedures and specific use of control groups from older age groups. Important topics include data harmonization methods for imaging and biofluid biomarkers.

3.

Neuropathology concepts will be discussed in the context of applications that include further characterization of neurodegeneration in AD and related disorders, disease subtypes, disease staging, and risk factors. Additional investigations of importance include neuropathological evaluation of PET radiotracer properties (e.g., distribution, localization of specific and off-target binding) and correspondence between antemortem PET and postmortem measures.

4.

Biofluid biomarker development, validation, and application in AD and related disorders will be discussed. This will include efforts to understand relationships across established and emergent biofluid biomarkers and comparison of these outcomes to amyloid and tau PET measures.

5.

The concept of biomarker positivity will continue to be extensively discussed, and the attendees should be able to characterize the advantages and disadvantages of both dichotomized and continuous variable approaches to imaging and non-imaging biomarkers relevant to the human amyloid imaging field and with respect to specific purposes or intended uses of the outcome.

6.

Attendees will have the opportunity to evaluate amyloid and tau data in specific clinical and clinical research contexts, including review of typical findings in AD dementia, mild cognitive impairment due to AD, and in clinically normal individuals. This includes further elucidation of factors that underlie relationships between amyloid and tau deposition, cognitive decline, and dementia progression that provide a more informed understanding of individual patient trajectories. These efforts will also be related to familial forms of the disease, Down Syndrome, and to non-AD processes (i.e., fronto-temporal lobar degeneration and Lewy Body dementia). Further study of “real world” research participants will be discussed that includes people from diverse, ethnic and/or racial minority, and disadvantaged groups.

7.

Particular attention will be given to the assessment of longitudinal amyloid and tau PET data as it relates to methods of analysis and comparison to other domains of data, including structural and functional brain imaging data, and clinical and cognitive outcomes. An ongoing topic of importance is the relative value of PET versus other detection strategies (e.g., MRI volumetry and biofluid biomarkers).

8.

Attendees will also continue to have the opportunity the better understand methodology that can be used to optimize participant selection and conduct of AD therapeutic trials. Important topics relate to improved understanding of how in vivo metrics (imaging and non-imaging) and cognition change in response to AD therapeutic treatment (cross-sectionally and longitudinally) and how to better identify those most vulnerable to treatment side-effects, such as anti-amyloid related imaging abnormalities.

HAI 2025 Executive Committee

Keith Johnson, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital
Maria Carrillo, PhD, Alzheimer’s Association
Teresa Gomez-Isla, MD, PhD, Massachusetts General Hospital
Thomas Karikari, PhD, University of Gothenburg
Beth Mormino, PhD, Stanford University
Julie Price, PhD, Massachusetts General Hospital

HAI 2025 Theme Co-chairs

Suzanne Baker, PhD, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Tobey Betthauser, PhD, University of Wisconsin
Anne Cohen, PhD, University of Pittsburgh
Brad Christian, PhD, University of Wisconsin
Teresa Gomez-Isla, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital
Ansel Hillmer, PhD, University of Michigan
Milos Ikonomovic, MD, University of Pittsburgh
Heidi Jacobs, PhD, Massachusetts General Hospital
Thomas Karikari, PhD, University of Pittsburgh
Susan Landau, PhD, University of California, Berkeley
Laetitia Lemoine, PhD, Perceptive
Beth Mormino, PhD, Stanford University
Melissa Murray, PhD, Mayo Clinic
Julie Price, PhD, Harvard Medical School
Gil Rabinovici, MD, University of California, San Francisco
Pedro Rosa-Neto, PhD, McGill University
Suzanne Schindler, MD, PhD, Washington University in St Louis
Henrik Zetterberg, MD, University of Gothenburg

HAI 2025 Young Investigator Award Judges

Hartmuth Kolb, PhD, Enigma Biomedical Group
Dawn Matthews, PhD, ADM Diagnostics
Michael Pontecorvo, PhD, Avid Radiopharmaceuticals
Sandra Sanabria, PhD, Genentech

HAI 2025 Program Committee

Suzanne Baker, PhD, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Tobey Betthauser, PhD, University of Wisconsin
Marianne Chapleau, PhD, Life Molecular Imaging
Brad Christian, PhD, University of Wisconsin
Anne Cohen, PhD, University of Pittsburgh
Teresa Gomez-Isla, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital
Ansel Hillmer, PhD, University of Michigan
Kenji Ishii, MD, Tokyo Metropolitan Inst. of Gerontology
Milos Ikonomovic, MD, University of Pittsburgh
Clifford R. Jack, MD, Mayo Clinic
Heidi Jacobs, PhD, Massachusetts General Hospital
Renaud La Joie, PhD, University of California, San Francisco
Susan Landau, PhD, University of California, Berkeley
Laetitia Lemoine, PhD, Perceptive
Beth Mormino, PhD, Stanford University
Melissa Murray, PhD, Mayo Clinic
Agneta Nordberg, MD, PhD, Karolinska Institute
Rik Ossenkoppele, PhD, VU University Medical Center
Julie Ottoy, PhD, University of Toronto
Julie Price, PhD, Harvard Medical School
Gil Rabinovici, MD, University of California, San Francisco
Susan Resnick, PhD, National Institute on Aging
Dorene Rentz, PsyD, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Pedro Rosa-Neto, MD, PhD, McGill University
Stephen Salloway, MD, Brown University
Sandra Sanabria, PhD, Genentech
Suzanne Schindler, MD, PhD, Washington University in St Louis
Christopher Schwarz, PhD, Mayo Clinic
Reisa Sperling, MD, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Rik Vandenberghe, MD, PhD, KU Leuven
Victor Villemagne, MD, University of Pittsburgh
Sylvia Villeneuve, PhD, McGill University
Christina Young, PhD, Stanford University
Henrik Zetterberg, MD, University of Gothenburg