The Rainwater Charitable Foundation (RCF) has announced the recipients of its 2026 Rainwater Prize, recognising advances in research on primary tauopathies and neurodegenerative diseases. The awards aim to support research that translates into new diagnostics and therapeutic approaches for diseases characterised by tau protein accumulation in the brain.

Dennis Dickson, professor of laboratory medicine and pathology, Mayo Clinic Florida, and Melissa Murray, professor of neuroscience (pictured with digitally printed ‘brain art’ of her late grandmother), Mayo Clinic Florida, will receive the Rainwater Prize for Outstanding Innovation in Neurodegenerative Research, with a grant of $400,000. Their work focuses on understanding the neuropathologic patterns and molecular mechanisms of diseases including progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and corticobasal degeneration (CBD), both of which currently lack disease-modifying treatments.

Murray said: “I am thrilled to receive this award for our comprehensive neuropathology and biomarker efforts in the field of neurodegenerative disease alongside Dr Dickson. As many tau-driven disorders such as PSP, FTD, and CBD remain understudied, the RCF’s commitment to initiatives like the Rainwater Prize is essential in accelerating future therapeutic innovations where there are critical gaps.”

Dickson added: “Receiving this prestigious prize in collaboration with Dr Murray is both meaningful and motivating. We are eager to utilize these funds in hopes of advancing efforts to slow and ultimately stop the progression of tau-related diseases.”

Marc Aurel Busche, professor of dementia and neurodegenerative diseases, University of Basel, and programme leader at the UK Dementia Research Institute at University College London, will receive the Rainwater Prize for Innovative Early-Career Scientist, with a grant of $200,000. Busche’s work has identified soluble, high-molecular-weight tau as a key factor in neuronal dysfunction, a stage that precedes neurodegeneration and could be a target for future interventions.

Busche said: “Neurodegenerative disease research is moving rapidly, as we identify more diagnostic markers and shed new light on the biological drivers of these diseases. It is an honor to be recognized by the RCF, and my lab and I look forward to establishing an open data platform linking different tau species characteristics with their effects on brain activity to accelerate collective progress toward meaningful treatments.”

The awards will be formally presented at the 2026 Tau Global Conference in Washington, D.C., on May 14-15. Primary tauopathies such as PSP and CBD are rare and devastating disorders, highlighting the importance of funding and recognition for research that can advance both understanding and therapeutic development.