Lindsay A. Farrer, PhD
Boston University Distinguished Professor of Genetics, Medicine
Biography
Dr. Lindsay Farrer is a medical geneticist at Boston University Schools of Medicine and Public Health where he is the Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine Distinguished Professor of Genetics, Chief of Biomedical Genetics, and a Professor of Medicine, Neurology, Ophthalmology, Epidemiology, and Biostatistics. Dr. Farrer is a graduate of the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, received his Ph.D. from the Indiana University School of Medicine, and gained additional training in genetic epidemiology at Yale University. He holds adjunct faculty positions at Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, and the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Bedford, Massachusetts. He is a Founding Fellow of the American College of Medical Genetics. Dr. Farrer teaches several courses in human genetics and addiction science at Boston University, directs the BU Transformative Training Program in Addiction Science (TTPAS) that features transdisciplinary training for students enrolled in PhD programs across the Medical and Charles River campuses, directs Boston University’s Molecular Genetics Core Facility which offers DNA genotyping and sequencing services to investigators at Boston University and elsewhere, and provides genetic counseling and testing to patients with a variety of inherited conditions.
Dr. Farrer’s research has lead to more than 450 publications on genetic risk factors for several familial neurodegenerative and other chronic diseases. In collaboration with other laboratories worldwide, his group has localized genes causing a variety of rare and common disorders, most notably Alzheimer disease (AD), substance use disorders (SUDs), age-related macular degeneration (AMD), Wilson disease, Machado-Joseph disease, Waardenburg syndrome, hypertension, sensorineural deafness, and osteoarthritis. His group identified a functional genetic variant in the complement factor H gene which accounts for more than 30% of the attributable risk for AMD, the leading cause of progressive vision loss and blindness in the elderly. In collaboration with other researchers, Dr. Farrer is conducting genome wide association studies (GWAS) and whole genome/exome sequencing studies for several disorders including AD, SUDs (cocaine, opiates, nicotine, alcohol and cannabis), and AMD. Dr. Farrer’s team is also developing methods for locating genes that influence the natural history of complex diseases and pharmacogenetic response.
Under Dr. Farrer’s leadership, the MIRAGE Project, a multi-center study of AD funded since 1991 by the National Institute on Aging, has made several important contributions to our understanding of the interactions between genetic and environmental factors for the disorder. This study has a particular emphasis on the genetics of AD in African Americans. MIRAGE was the first study to demonstrate that genetic factors have a major role in the development of AD and that APOE e4 is more weakly associated with disease in men and persons older than 75 years. Dr. Farrer co-directed the international effort which demonstrated that SORL1 is genetically and functionally associated with AD, thus implicating intracellular protein trafficking as integral pathway in AD. His laboratory conducted genome wide association studies (GWAS) for AD in several populations including African Americans and an inbred Israeli-Arab community, and identified rare AD causal mutations in the AKAP9 gene which are specific to African Americans. Dr. Farrer serves on the Executive Committee of the national Alzheimer Disease Genetics Consortium and co-directs the data analysis effort for this large NIH-funded project. He is also a Principal Investigator of the national Alzheimer Disease Sequencing Project and a study to identify AD risk and protective variants in Koreans. in 2020, Dr. Farrer co-founded the Framingham Heart Study Brain Aging Program (FHS-BAP), an NIH-funded infrastructure program that continues surveillance of FHS participants for cognitive decline and dementia, conducts neuropsychological and brain MRI exams, houses the FHS brain tissue repository, and conducts several projects utilizing genetics, various omics, and wealth of phenotype data on FHS participants to develop predictive models, identify biomarkers and discern vascular and inflammatory processes leading to AD.
Other Positions
- Section Chief, Biomedical Genetics, Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
- Professor, Biomedical Genetics, Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
- Professor, Ophthalmology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
- Professor, Neurology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
- Professor, Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health
- Professor, Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health
- Investigator, Framingham Heart Study
- Member, Evans Center for Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research, Boston University
- Member, Genome Science Institute, Boston University
- Member, Bioinformatics Graduate Program, Boston University
- Graduate Faculty (Primary Mentor of Grad Students), Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Graduate Medical Sciences
Education
- Indiana University School of Medicine, PhD
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, BA
Classes Taught
- ENGBF900
- ENGBF901
- GMSMS710
Publications
- Published on 7/3/2024
Kang M, Li C, Mahajan A, Spat-Lemus J, Durape S, Chen J, Gurnani AS, Devine S, Auerbach SH, Ang TFA, Sherva R, Qiu WQ, Lunetta KL, Au R, Farrer LA, Mez J. Subjective Cognitive Decline Plus and Longitudinal Assessment and Risk for Cognitive Impairment. JAMA Psychiatry. 2024 Jul 03. PMID: 38959008.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 7/3/2024
Ray NR, Kunkle BW, Hamilton-Nelson K, Kurup JT, Rajabli F, Qiao M, Vardarajan BN, Cosacak MI, Kizil C, Jean-Francois M, Cuccaro M, Reyes-Dumeyer D, Cantwell L, Kuzma A, Vance JM, Gao S, Hendrie HC, Baiyewu O, Ogunniyi A, Akinyemi RO, Lee WP, Martin ER, Wang LS, Beecham GW, Bush WS, Xu W, Jin F, Wang L, Farrer LA, Haines JL, Byrd GS, Schellenberg GD, Mayeux R, Pericak-Vance MA, Reitz C. Extended genome-wide association study employing the African genome resources panel identifies novel susceptibility loci for Alzheimer's disease in individuals of African ancestry. Alzheimers Dement. 2024 Jul 03. PMID: 38958117.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 6/21/2024
Sahelijo N, Rajagopalan P, Qian L, Rahman R, Priyadarshi D, Goldstein D, Thomopoulos SI, Bennett DA, Farrer LA, Stein TD, Shen L, Huang H, Nho K, Andrew SJ, Davatzikos C, Thompson PM, Tcw J, Jun GR. Brain Cell-based Genetic Subtyping and Drug Repositioning for Alzheimer Disease. medRxiv. 2024 Jun 21. PMID: 38947056.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 6/4/2024
Ahangaran M, Zhu H, Li R, Yin L, Jang J, Chaudhry AP, Farrer LA, Au R, Kolachalama VB. DREAMER: a computational framework to evaluate readiness of datasets for machine learning. BMC Med Inform Decis Mak. 2024 Jun 04; 24(1):152. PMID: 38831432.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 4/18/2024
Nievergelt CM, Maihofer AX, Atkinson EG, Chen CY, Choi KW, Coleman JRI, Daskalakis NP, Duncan LE, Polimanti R, Aaronson C, Amstadter AB, Andersen SB, Andreassen OA, Arbisi PA, Ashley-Koch AE, Austin SB, Avdibegoviç E, Babic D, Bacanu SA, Baker DG, Batzler A, Beckham JC, Belangero S, Benjet C, Bergner C, Bierer LM, Biernacka JM, Bierut LJ, Bisson JI, Boks MP, Bolger EA, Brandolino A, Breen G, Bressan RA, Bryant RA, Bustamante AC, Bybjerg-Grauholm J, Bækvad-Hansen M, Børglum AD, Børte S, Cahn L, Calabrese JR, Caldas-de-Almeida JM, Chatzinakos C, Cheema S, Clouston SAP, Colodro-Conde L, Coombes BJ, Cruz-Fuentes CS, Dale AM, Dalvie S, Davis LK, Deckert J, Delahanty DL, Dennis MF, Desarnaud F, DiPietro CP, Disner SG, Docherty AR, Domschke K, Dyb G, Kulenovic AD, Edenberg HJ, Evans A, Fabbri C, Fani N, Farrer LA, Feder A, Feeny NC, Flory JD, Forbes D, Franz CE, Galea S, Garrett ME, Gelaye B, Gelernter J, Geuze E, Gillespie CF, Goleva SB, Gordon SD, Goçi A, Grasser LR, Guindalini C, Haas M, Hagenaars S, Hauser MA, Heath AC, Hemmings SMJ, Hesselbrock V, Hickie IB, Hogan K, Hougaard DM, Huang H, Huckins LM, Hveem K, Jakovljevic M, Javanbakht A, Jenkins GD, Johnson J, Jones I, Jovanovic T, Karstoft KI, Kaufman ML, Kennedy JL, Kessler RC, Khan A, Kimbrel NA, King AP, Koen N, Kotov R, Kranzler HR, Krebs K, Kremen WS, Kuan PF, Lawford BR, Lebois LAM, Lehto K, Levey DF, Lewis C, Liberzon I, Linnstaedt SD, Logue MW, Lori A, Lu Y, Luft BJ, Lupton MK, Luykx JJ, Makotkine I, Maples-Keller JL, Marchese S, Marmar C, Martin NG, Martínez-Levy GA, McAloney K, McFarlane A, McLaughlin KA, McLean SA, Medland SE, Mehta D, Meyers J, Michopoulos V, Mikita EA, Milani L, Milberg W, Miller MW, Morey RA, Morris CP, Mors O, Mortensen PB, Mufford MS, Nelson EC, Nordentoft M, Norman SB, Nugent NR, O'Donnell M, Orcutt HK, Pan PM, Panizzon MS, Pathak GA, Peters ES, Peterson AL, Peverill M, Pietrzak RH, Polusny MA, Porjesz B, Powers A, Qin XJ, Ratanatharathorn A, Risbrough VB, Roberts AL, Rothbaum AO, Rothbaum BO, Roy-Byrne P, Ruggiero KJ, Rung A, Runz H, Rutten BPF, de Viteri SS, Salum GA, Sampson L, Sanchez SE, Santoro M, Seah C, Seedat S, Seng JS, Shabalin A, Sheerin CM, Silove D, Smith AK, Smoller JW, Sponheim SR, Stein DJ, Stensland S, Stevens JS, Sumner JA, Teicher MH, Thompson WK, Tiwari AK, Trapido E, Uddin M, Ursano RJ, Valdimarsdóttir U, Van Hooff M, Vermetten E, Vinkers CH, Voisey J, Wang Y, Wang Z, Waszczuk M, Weber H, Wendt FR, Werge T, Williams MA, Williamson DE, Winsvold BS, Winternitz S, Wolf C, Wolf EJ, Xia Y, Xiong Y, Yehuda R, Young KA, Young RM, Zai CC, Zai GC, Zervas M, Zhao H, Zoellner LA, Zwart JA, deRoon-Cassini T, van Rooij SJH, van den Heuvel LL, Stein MB, Ressler KJ, Koenen KC. Genome-wide association analyses identify 95 risk loci and provide insights into the neurobiology of post-traumatic stress disorder. Nat Genet. 2024 May; 56(5):792-808. PMID: 38637617.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 4/12/2024
Wang Y, Huang J, Ang TFA, Zhu Y, Tao Q, Mez J, Alosco M, Denis GV, Belkina A, Gurnani A, Ross M, Gong B, Han J, Lunetta KL, Stein TD, Au R, Farrer LA, Zhang X, Qiu WQ. The association between circulating CD34+CD133+ endothelial progenitor cells and reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease in the Framingham Heart Study. Explor Med. 2024; 5(2):193-214. PMID: 38854406.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 4/8/2024
Zhu C, Tong T, Farrell JJ, Martin ER, Bush WS, Pericak-Vance MA, Wang LS, Schellenberg GD, Haines JL, Lunetta KL, Farrer LA, Zhang X. MitoH3: Mitochondrial Haplogroup and Homoplasmic/Heteroplasmic Variant Calling Pipeline for Alzheimer's Disease Sequencing Project. J Alzheimers Dis Rep. 2024; 8(1):575-587. PMID: 38746629.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 2/29/2024
Panitch R, Sahelijo N, Hu J, Nho K, Bennett DA, Lunetta KL, Au R, Stein TD, Farrer LA, Jun GR. APOE genotype-specific methylation patterns are linked to Alzheimer disease pathology and estrogen response. Transl Psychiatry. 2024 Feb 29; 14(1):129. PMID: 38424036.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 2/28/2024
Malamon JS, Farrell JJ, Xia LC, Dombroski BA, Das RG, Way J, Kuzma AB, Valladares O, Leung YY, Scanlon AJ, Lopez IAB, Brehony J, Worley KC, Zhang NR, Wang LS, Farrer LA, Schellenberg GD, Lee WP, Vardarajan BN. A comparative study of structural variant calling in WGS from Alzheimer's disease families. Life Sci Alliance. 2024 May; 7(5). PMID: 38418088.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 1/23/2024
Leung YY, Naj AC, Chou YF, Valladares O, Schmidt M, Hamilton-Nelson K, Wheeler N, Lin H, Gangadharan P, Qu L, Clark K, Kuzma AB, Lee WP, Cantwell L, Nicaretta H, Haines J, Farrer L, Seshadri S, Brkanac Z, Cruchaga C, Pericak-Vance M, Mayeux RP, Bush WS, Destefano A, Martin E, Schellenberg GD, Wang LS. Human whole-exome genotype data for Alzheimer's disease. Nat Commun. 2024 Jan 23; 15(1):684. PMID: 38263370.
Read at: PubMed
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