Almost all people with Down Syndrome develop Alzheimer’s disease in old age due to their genetic predisposition. Initial research results show that very similar processes take place in the brains of people with Down syndrome and Alzheimer's disease. Levin will investigate these inflammatory processes in the development of Alzheimer's disease in people with Down syndrome in more detail. The results will ultimately benefit people with and without Down syndrome.

The research project has been funded with more than 125.000 euros by the Alzheimer Forschung Initiative for two years. The grant funds will be used for salaries and services such as biostatistical analyses. In addition to the funding, Levin received the Helga Steinle Prize endowed with 20,000 euros for this project.