Population Studies and Genetics Branch

The Population Studies and Genetics Branch supports multidisciplinary research to uncover how genetic, environmental, and other factors influence brain aging, neurodegeneration, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), Alzheimer's disease (AD), and AD-related dementias (ADRD) across diverse populations globally. This involves the use of rigorously characterized longitudinal population-based studies enriched with biospecimens (i.e., blood, cerebrospinal fluid, central nervous system tissues), neuroimaging, clinical histories, and sociodemographic information to elucidate causal pathways involved in the onset and progression of MCI and AD/ADRD — advancing knowledge of etiology and identifying factors that might serve as risk markers or inform therapeutic targets.

Supported areas of research include:

• Epidemiology of MCI and AD/ADRD
• Co-morbidities associated with MCI, AD, and ADRD
• Exposomics, environmental health and MCI, AD, and ADRD
• Genetics, Epigenetics, and Function Genomics of AD and ADRD
• Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to predict AD/ADRD risk, resistance, and resilience
• Secondary use of de-identified data to support new hypotheses, enhance analytical rigor, and promote reproducibility