The Framingham Heart Study Brain Aging Program (FHS-BAP), established with a $26.56 million NIH grant, builds on the pioneering work of the Framingham Heart Study to advance our understanding of brain aging and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Led by Dr. Lindsay Farrer and Dr. Rhoda Au, the program focuses on dementia surveillance, brain donation, and key research areas including vascular and inflammatory contributors to AD, genetic vulnerabilities, and immune function. With nearly 70 years of data, the FHS-BAP embraces a multi-generational, interdisciplinary approach to brain health and precision medicine, fostering collaboration and supporting early-stage investigators to improve health outcomes for future generations.
We manage and share a wide range of curated data from the Framingham Heart Study (FHS) to support Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) research. Our data spans from simple demographic and self-reporting information to complex multi-omic, genetic, and digital datasets, including recent additions like voice, image, and digital pen data. We work closely with FHS-BAP cores, contract staff, and external collaborators to ensure high-quality data collection, auditing, and sharing. By facilitating access to both legacy data (e.g., demographics, lab biomarkers, neuroimaging) and emerging clinical and digital markers, we aim to enhance AD-related research and foster collaboration within the research community.
When you’re not feeling yourself, you hope your doctor can provide some answers. Maybe they can tell you what’s wrong, why it’s happening, and what can be done about it. Or, if they can’t zero in on a diagnosis, perhaps tests—blood work, scans, samples—can help fill in the gaps. But what if a diagnosis never […]
November 20, 2023 (CNN) In July 2019, just months after graduating from high school, 18-year-old Wyatt Bramwell took his own life. About a year later, researchers at Boston University diagnosed him with stage 2 chronic traumatic encephalopathy, known as CTE, caused by playing tackle football for several years. Playing football may increase risk of Parkinson’s […]
September 20, 2023 The Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation's Goodes Prize supports researchers transforming the field by translating the biology of aging into new therapeutics and diagnostic tools NEW YORK, Sept. 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) has presented Rhoda Au, PhD, MBA, Professor of Anatomy and Neurobiology at the Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of […]