Since 1996, the BU ADC has been a catalyst for research on brain aging and Alzheimer's disease (AD) at the local and national levels. The BU ADC is an active contributor to all major national AD initiatives through its contribution of large numbers of samples and standardized clinical data collected from well-characterized participants. The BU ADC also contributes participants to important national interventional AD clinical trials including the A4 study. Research supported by the BU ADC has helped to better define normal brain aging and the transition from normal aging to mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and to the earliest stages of dementia. In the current funding cycle, the BU ADC has been a leader for innovative research at the intersection between brain trauma, aging, and cognitive decline that paved the way for two new major NIH U01 programs on Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) based at BUSM. A major focus of BU ADC supported research over the next funding cycle will be to build on this strong foundation by: (i) differentiating AD and CTE in prodromal and later stages in aging subjects, and (ii) determining the role of repetitive head injury in the evolution of AD. The BU ADC is composed of 5 interactive and synergistic cores: Administrative, Clinical, Neuropathology, Data Management & Statistics, and Outreach and Recruitment, and a Research Education Component. The BU ADC actively partners with the Alzheimer Association in advancing AD-related research and the Concussion Legacy Foundation in advancing research on the long-term effects of brain injury. The overall specific aims of the BU ADC are: 1) to identify, recruit, and thoroughly characterize MCI, AD, CTE, and control subjects willing to participate in cutting-edge research studies and clinical trials. Research quality MRI, amyloid and tau PET scans, and CSF collection will be performed on a subset of participants; 2) to collect, store, analyze, and distribute biological samples from participants for APOE genotyping, DNA banking, biomarker assays to support high priority AD and CTE research; 3) to conduct state-of the-art diagnostic neuropathological evaluation and provide high-quality tissue for research on AD, CTE and related conditions; 4) to educate the next generation of research leaders through the Research Education Component and to foster the professional development of early-stage investigators and innovative AD and CTE related research through the BU ADC pilot project program; and 5) to collect and store high quality data, ensure data security and integrity, and provide biostatistical consultation for investigators affiliated with the BU ADC. The Administrative Core coordinates activities of the BU ADC cores to achieve the above aims and serves as the interface between internal ADC activities and external entities and ensures that BU ADC activities are consistent with the NIA ADC program mission. The BU ADC is unique in its research focus on the role of brain trauma in neurodegeneration and will make available to the research community unmatched resources to support research on AD and the role of brain trauma in age-related neurodegeneration.
The BU ADC actively contributes participants, biological samples, and data to advance all major national AD research initiatives. Recently the BU ADC has catalyzed innovative internationally recognized research on CTE, an under recognized cause of age-related brain degeneration that can develop after repetitive head injury.
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