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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Data 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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.