University of Wisconsin–Madison

How a recent Harvard-led study uses WRAP data


A new study by researchers at Harvard University and presented at the 2026 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference is generating news for its findings that a simple blood test may help predict future cognitive decline, paving the way for researchers to identify effective strategies for Alzheimer’s prevention. 

Read now: “Prognostic value of blood-based p-tau217 levels for progression to cognitive impairment” was published in the Journal of American Medicine (JAMA) on July 14, 2026. 

The study analyzed data from nearly 2,700 cognitively unimpaired adults across six international research cohorts, including participants from the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention (WRAP). WRAP, one of the nation’s longest-running studies of Alzheimer’s disease risk and resilience, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. 

Jessica Caldwell, PhD, multi-principal investigator of the WRAP study, recently spoke to statewide media outlets to explain the study’s findings and how diagnostic blood tests are allowing researchers to identify Alzheimer’s disease-related changes years before symptoms appear.

“Really, this is a game changer,” Dr. Caldwell said in an interview with Fox6 News Milwaukee. “What we need to do right now is focus on better treatments for Alzheimer’s disease dementia and also better treatments for people who don’t have any memory symptoms – but they have Alzheimer’s disease proteins in their brain – because what ultimately we want to do is address things before memory issues become a problem. This type of prediction is really a major step on the research pathway to getting that done.”

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“Really, this is a game changer. What we need to do right now is focus on better treatments for Alzheimer’s disease dementia and also better treatments for people who don’t have any memory symptoms – but they have Alzheimer’s disease proteins in their brain – because what ultimately we want to do is address things before memory issues become a problem.”
Jessica Caldwell, PhD, WRAP mPI

 The Harvard study focused on measuring the protein, p-tau217, linked to Alzheimer’s disease through a blood test. Dr. Caldwell explained that the results have important implications for both research and clinical care. As scientists work toward earlier detection and intervention, blood-based biomarkers may help identify people who could benefit from preventive strategies or participation in research studies.

 Why this matters

One of the greatest challenges in Alzheimer’s disease is that biological changes in the brain can begin decades before memory symptoms appear. Research like this aims to identify those changes earlier, when interventions may have the greatest opportunity to preserve brain health.

The findings also underscore the value of long-term research participation. WRAP participants have contributed data for more than two decades, helping researchers better understand the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s disease and identify new tools for detection and prevention.

In the news

Media interviews with Dr. Caldwell about this research finding aired on several Wisconsin news outlets, including: