Dr. Michelle Sorweid, Associate Clinical Professor in the Division of Geriatrics at the University of Utah School of Medicine, has been awarded a 2026 catalyst grant from the Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Research Center (ADRC) to study brain imaging patterns that may improve diagnosis of neurodegenerative disease. The ADRC, a state-funded center housed at Utah State University, annually awards catalyst grants to support Alzheimer’s disease and dementia research across Utah. This year, eleven researchers from institutions throughout the state received funding, and we are proud to count one of our own among the awardees.
About the Research
Dr. Sorweid, in collaboration with Dr. Haley V. Solomon (Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Utah), will investigate whether structural brain MRI patterns can reliably distinguish bipolar disorder, a psychiatric illness, from behavioral-variant frontotemporal degeneration (bvFTD), a progressive neurodegenerative disease.
The two conditions share overlapping symptoms, including disturbances in mood, behavior, executive function, and social cognition, making clinical differentiation particularly challenging — especially in midlife, when psychiatric presentations are common and neurodegenerative disease is less expected.
“Both conditions share prominent disturbances in mood, behavior, executive function, and social cognition making clinical differentiation challenging, particularly in midlife when psychiatric presentations are common and neurodegenerative disease is less common.”
The researchers believe that identifying distinct imaging patterns between the two conditions is imperative for treatment planning and outcomes. Their work aims to help avoid delays in diagnosis and to better predict which individuals may go on to develop neurodegenerative disease.
Why This Matters
Early and accurate diagnosis of frontotemporal degeneration versus a treatable psychiatric condition like bipolar disorder can have profound consequences for a patient’s care pathway, prognosis, and quality of life. This research has the potential to provide clinicians with objective, imaging-based tools to guide those critical decisions.
About the ADRC Pilot Grant Program
The Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Research Center supports a growing number of scientists across Utah who are advancing the understanding, prevention, and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, as well as the care of affected families. In 2026, the ADRC received nearly twice as many grant applications as in prior years, reflecting the rapid growth of dementia research across the state.
The full list of 2026 ADRC awardees can be found on the Utah State University TODAY website.
Please join DIHR in congratulating Dr. Sorweid on this well-deserved recognition and exciting funded work!