FHS-BAP Cores and Projects

The FHS-BAP is a collaborative initiative organized into four cores and three research projects, led by senior investigators with proven expertise in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and related disorders.

FHS-BAP Core Structure and Research Projects:

Cores:

  1. Administrative Core:
    • Leaders: Dr. Lindsay Farrer and Dr. Rhoda Au
    • Function: Integration, coordination, and planning of FHS-BAP activities. Oversight of advisory committees, financial management, and fostering collaborative AD research.
  2. Clinical Core:
    • Leader: Dr. Rhoda Au, Co-leader: Dr. Jesse Mez
    • Function: Conduct neuropsychological, neurological, and brain MRI examinations. Adjudicate dementia diagnoses. Administer the FHS brain donation program.
  3. Neuropathology Core:
    • Leader: Dr. Ann McKee, Co-leader: Dr. Thor Stein
    • Function: Characterize brain tissue from the FHS brain donation program. Perform comprehensive digital quantification of amyloid and tau pathology.
  4. Data Management Core:
    • Leader: Dr. Joseph Massaro, Co-leader: Dr. Chunyu Liu
    • Function: Archive, quality check, and harmonize data from Clinical and Neuropathology cores. Manage data sharing with projects, centralized databases, NIH repositories, and external investigators.

Research Projects:

  1. Project 1: Trajectories of Cognitive Decline and Mid-life Vascular Traits
    • Leaders: Dr. Lindsay Farrer and Dr. Jesse Mez
    • Aims: Identify factors associated with cognitive decline, neurodegeneration, and resilience. Explore mid-life vascular and inflammatory traits associated with AD risk.
  2. Project 2: Linking AD Genetic Vulnerabilities and Chronic Peripheral Inflammation
    • Leaders: Dr. Wendy Qiu and Dr. Xiaoling Zhang
    • Aim: Investigate the interaction of genetic risk factors with chronic peripheral inflammation on AD risk. Identify blood biomarkers correlated with peripheral and brain inflammation, assessing longitudinal cognitive changes and brain atrophy.
  3. Project 3: Genetic and Protein Alterations of Complement-related Genes and Glial Cell Phenotypes
    • Leaders: Dr. Thor Stein and Dr. Gyungah Jun
    • Aim: Examine contributions of proteinopathies and white matter changes to cognitive decline. Investigate genetic and protein alterations of complement-related genes and glial cell phenotypes in AD and related disorders.