The Alzheimer's Disease Data Initiative (ADDI)

The Alzheimer’s Disease Data Initiative (ADDI) is a global effort to accelerate research and innovation in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease. Established to address the critical need for accessible, high-quality data, ADDI provides researchers, clinicians, and innovators with the tools and resources needed to share, discover, and analyse vast datasets related to Alzheimer’s and other dementias.

AD Workbench, a secure cloud-based platform, enables users to access and collaborate on a wide array of datasets. This initiative fosters collaboration across disciplines and borders, breaking down data silos and driving the development of new treatments and interventions. By facilitating data sharing and innovation, ADDI plays a crucial role in accelerating the discovery of therapies that can slow, prevent, or even cure Alzheimer’s disease, ultimately improving the lives of millions affected by this condition.

The UK DRI-ADDI partnership is impactful and tangible, as both organisations play complementary roles. UK DRI contributes vast datasets and cutting-edge research insights, while ADDI offers a secure platform, the AD Workbench, for data sharing and advanced analysis. In March 2023, ADDI senior leadership was invited to participate in the UK DRI Informatics scoping event where participants had the opportunity to give feedback on the planned UK DRI data science programme.

The ADDI team has delivered several workshops to the UK DRI community, such as the UK DRI Informatics ECR symposium in January 2024, and was invited to provide a module as part of the UK DRI EMBL-EBI “Data-driven approaches to understanding dementia” in April 2024.