ADMINISTRATIVE CORE The Administrative Core of the ADRC located at the University of Southern California (USC) is responsible for the overall scientific direction of the center and the coordination of six service cores, 2 research projects, and 2-3 pilot projects selected each year. The ADRC is an integral part of the national Alzheimer Disease Center (ADC) network, working closely with the National Alzheimer Coordinating Center (NACC), Alzheimer Cooperative Studies (ADCS), the Alzheimer Disease Genetics Consortium (ADGC), and Alzheimer Disease Neuroimaging Intiative (ADNI). Epidemiologic studies have long observed associations between highly prevalent and treatable vascular risk factors and an increased incidence of AD, yet the linking mechanisms are unclear. During the past 4 years, USC has made incremental strides in developing neuroselective steroids for the prevention and treatment of AD. A major Provost hiring initiative in neuroscience has brought together a critical mass of scientific talent in Alzheimer disease, especially knowledgeable about the cerebral vasculature and early Phase I/ II drug development. Thus, the USC ADRC has three unique overarching goals: 1) Elucidate vascular contributions to Alzheimer's disease (AD). 2) Catalyze local research in AD at USC (especially Phase I/Phase II clinical trials), and 3) Contribute expertise in vascular disease and imaging to national collaborative initiatives. The Clinical and ORE cores, together with the Huntington Medical Research Institute, will recruit and follow participants in a new vascular cohort (n-180) for Projects 1 and 2, and will refer well-characterized participants to clinical trials, the brain donation (autopsy) program, and other research projects. The capabilities of the Data and Imaging cores have been greatly expanded by the recruitment to USC of Arthur Toga and Paul Thompson to establish the Institute for Neuroimaging and Informatics. The Neuropathology core which prepares, stores, and shares brain tissues and biospecimens, now has the ability to perform a comprehensive assessment of CSF biomarkers. Project 1 and 2 have a complementary focus on the role of Neurovascular and Metabolic Factors on AD pathogenesis, and provide an intellectual cohesiveness to the Center as a whole. The projects build on innovations in assessing the integrity of the blood brain barrier with DCE-MRI, white matter tracts with DTI-MRI, and functional connectivity with fMRI. Imaging, biomarker, and clinical-pathological data from the vascular cohort will be shared openly with the scientific community online. The USC ADRC is thus prepared to serve as the nexus for translational research at USC and to bring unique expertise and tools to the national ADC research enterprise.
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