While great strides have been made in the genetics and biology of Alzheimer disease (AD), mechanisms leading to disease are not fully understood. Advanced age, a positive family history of dementia, and the \u025b4 allele of apolipoprotein E (APOE) are three prominent risk factors. Our intensive studies of these factors and genome-wide association studies have resulted in a better understanding of the genetic basis and age dependent penetrance of the disorder, as well as provided several clues about the interaction of genetic and non-genetic factors on disease risk. Our work has provided several lines of evidence supporting the idea that risk factors for vascular disease increase AD susceptibility and\/or influence the expression of the disorder. We also identified that intracellular protein trafficking is an important pathway leading to AD.<\/p>\n
AD Researchers<\/a> in the Biomedical Genetics section direct and collaborate in several projects aimed at identifying novel genetic factors, and examining interactions between genes, non-genetic risk factors, and novel biomarkers for developing AD. We also co-direct efforts for several very large consortia including the Alzheimer Disease Genetics Consortium (ADGC)<\/a>, Alzheimer Disease Sequencing Project<\/a>, and International Genomic Alzheimer Project <\/a>(IGAP).\u00a0<\/span> Results of these studies will speed the development of new diagnostic techniques and treatments for AD.<\/p>\n
![\"Alzheimer](\"\/genetics\/files\/2015\/12\/Alzheimer-disease-genetics-pic-12.21.15-457x300.jpg\")
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