Alzheimer’s disease is increasingly widespread, affecting more than 55 million people worldwide — a figure that’s expected to nearly triple by 2050.

Despite the disease’s prevalence, few know the history of research on Alzheimer’s and the role played by an important yet long-overlooked figure: Dr. Solomon Carter Fuller, the first Black psychiatrist and neurologist in the United States.

Fuller’s work “not only advanced the understanding of Alzheimer’s disease, but also exemplified how diverse backgrounds and perspectives in medical research can drive scientific progress and improve patient care across different communities,” said Dr. Chantale Branson, associate professor of neurology at the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta.