Akum Dhillon knew he wanted to help advance the fight against Alzheimer's from a young age. The Fulbright Scholar's passion for the cause began when he was 5 years old and his grandmother, Gurbachan Kaur, was diagnosed with the disease. Dhillon saw the devastating impact of Alzheimer's firsthand when she moved into his family's home in Richmond, Virginia. "A disease that rips away the memories a grandparent has of their family just isn't fair, and that's why I decided to pursue a career in neurology," he says.

When his grandmother passed away after living with the disease for seven years, Dhillon was devastated by the loss, and he was inspired to help other families in any way possible. "Right after she passed, I realized that I wanted to go into medicine. I wanted to work with this disease to hopefully find a cure."

Outshining the darkness of Alzheimer's

While becoming a doctor was Dhillon's ultimate career goal, he wanted to make an immediate impact on his community. During his sophomore year in high school, Dhillon got involved with the Alzheimer's Association Greater Richmond Chapter. "I came to the realization that I don't have to wait to become a physician before I can help advance Alzheimer's research and caregiver resources as a volunteer," he says.

The chapter introduced Dhillon to The Longest Day®, a signature event where participants raise Alzheimer's funds and awareness through an activity of their choice. He hosted 3v3 for ALZ, a soccer tournament that raised over $15,000 in the first year. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he kept participants around the world engaged through online gaming tournaments.

Dhillon's involvement in The Longest Day also fueled his interest in Alzheimer's research. "I've always been fascinated by research and I can attribute part of that to my involvement with the Alzheimer's Association," he says. "From a young age, raising money for Alzheimer's research has been a huge interest that I enjoy being part of."

Touching lives through research

Dhillon began his dream of becoming a physician at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a pre-med neuroscience major, where he continued to pursue his interest around Alzheimer's research. He received an opportunity to serve as an undergraduate research assistant in the PREVENTABLE Study. Funded by the National Institutes of Health and in part by the Alzheimer's Association, PREVENTABLE is one of the largest clinical research studies in adults 75 years or older aimed to learn if taking a statin — a medication commonly used to lower cholesterol — could help older adults live well for longer by preventing dementia, disability or heart disease.

For Dhillon, the PREVENTABLE Study was more than just a job — it was a chance to make a difference. "As an undergraduate research assistant, I had a lot of tasks related to patient recruitment, such as calling patients who are either on our study drug or a placebo to see how they're doing," he says. "I could tell that being contacted and feeling like someone cares about them mattered. It was a truly rewarding feeling."

Working on the PREVENTABLE Study helped Dhillon grow as a researcher, but it also validated his career path. "It really reaffirmed that, yes, patient care is something I want to do — I want to interact with patients, I want to help patients. I want to try to make their day a little bit better, a little bit brighter. Working on this study was just one small example of how I was able to practice that," he says.

Bringing The Longest Day to UNC

While Dhillon was busy with school and research projects as a student at UNC, he continued to raise critical Alzheimer's funds and awareness through The Longest Day. During his freshman year, he saw an opportunity to engage passionate Tar Heel fans by pivoting his 3v3 for ALZ fundraiser to basketball.

"Basketball is the main sport at UNC, so I transitioned to three-on-three basketball tournaments and was able to get sponsorships from the UNC men's basketball team," he says. "The team donated signed memorabilia for our raffle and came out to the event."

More than 90 teams participated in his fundraiser, raising over $5,000 for Alzheimer's care, support and research. Dhillon was touched by the outpouring of support from his fellow classmates for a cause so close to his heart. "Seeing all these people come out to show their support and being willing to take time out of their day just gave me a whole lot of hope."

From fundraiser to researcher

Since graduating from UNC, Dhillon has made impressive strides in his research career. He received the opportunity to serve as a U.S. Fulbright Scholar, where he is studying modifiable risk factors for Alzheimer's and dementia in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) before entering medical school.

Dhillon has also found opportunities to learn and connect through the Association's thriving global scientific community. Last November, he presented his work at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference® (AAIC®) Advancements: Modernizing Diagnosis in Tokyo, Japan and online. The conference featured global perspectives on the science of Alzheimer's diagnosis, detection and monitoring.

"My poster was a systematic literature review on risk factors for Alzheimer's and dementia — a precursor to the research I am undergoing as a Fulbright Scholar in the UAE," Dhillon says. "I focused on two particular potential risk factors: sleep disorders/sleep apnea and diet."

The conference gave Dhillon and other attendees a forum to discuss crucial advancements in the field.

"With recent drug approvals and advancements with blood-based biomarkers for earlier detection and diagnosis, this meeting underscored the importance of taking the momentum we have and pushing it forward," he says. "I loved being in an environment with some of the greatest minds on Alzheimer's research in one place to learn from them, but also to interact with them on a social and professional level. It was an experience I will not forget."

While Dhillon has big aspirations for his career in neurology, he never loses sight of why he decided to pursue this career path.

"There are literally millions of other families going through what my family went through. It's about trying to make a difference in people's lives," he says. "I have had two reminders on my phone for the past couple of years: One is to get into medical school and the other is to make the world a better place."