P30AG072977

Northwestern Alzheimer's Disease Research Center - Project Summary - Overall Component

The Northwestern ADRC is in its 25th year. This renewal application describes the progress of the past cycle and a plan of action for the next 5 years, during which we will pursue the following principal goals:

1) Support innovative research at Northwestern University on the biology, early diagnosis, risk factors, and treatment of dementias by bringing together basic and clinical investigators.

2) Participate in national collaborations that leverage the strengths of the NIA Centers by using the UDS-3 and FTLD module and transmitting data to NACC, and participating in ADNI, ADCS, NCRAD, LOAD, ADGC, and FTLD-related consortia.

3) Serve a leadership role in FTLD neuropathology, primary progressive aphasia (PPA), dementias associated with TDP-43 pathology, mid-life onset AD (MOAD), microglia and neuroinflammation, and unusually successful brain aging (superaging) in keeping with the unique strengths of the Northwestern ADRC in this area of aging and dementia research.

4) Train fellows and junior faculty and attract new investigators to dementia research through accredited clinical fellowships, development project awards, and training grants.

5) Ensure that patients, families, and underserved populations are beneficiaries of relevant advances through education, outreach, and novel life enrichment programs.

The cores of the ADRC are configured to serve the specific goals listed above. The Administrative Core will be responsible for the clinical, scientific, and fiscal leadership of the entire ADRC, as well as the coordination with national consortia and the selection of development projects.

The Clinical Core will maintain a cohort of well-characterized subjects recruited to address ongoing research priorities.

The Data Management and Statistics Core will ensure that the data are stored in ways that maximize collaboration and that biostatistical consultation plays a key role in the design and interpretation of research.

The Neuropathology Core will characterize patients who come to autopsy according to up-to-date criteria and distribute tissue, slides, DNA, and data for local and national collaborations.

The Outreach, Recruitment, and Engagement Core will work with the Clinical Core to enhance participant recruitment and retention in the ADRC and will develop innovative life enrichment programs to serve patients and their families.

The Research Education Component will oversee diversity recruitment for researchers and junior faculty and coordinate training requirements for the responsible conduct of research.

The Imaging Biomarker Core will perform up-to-date multimodal neuroimaging of Clinical Core participants, including amyloid and tau PET.

The Executive Committee, composed of all key personnel, will formulate ADRC priorities based on local and national mandates and will review requests for patients, controls, tissue, and data.

Northwestern University

TO ENCOURAGE BIOMEDICAL, SOCIAL, AND BEHAVIORAL RESEARCH AND RESEARCH TRAINING DIRECTED TOWARD GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF THE AGING PROCESS AND THE DISEASES, SPECIAL PROBLEMS, AND NEEDS OF PEOPLE AS THEY AGE. THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON AGING HAS ESTABLISHED PROGRAMS TO PURSUE THESE GOALS. THE DIVISION OF AGING BIOLOGY EMPHASIZES UNDERSTANDING THE BASIC BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES OF AGING. THE DIVISION OF GERIATRICS AND CLINICAL GERONTOLOGY SUPPORTS RESEARCH TO IMPROVE THE ABILITIES OF HEALTH CARE PRACTITIONERS TO RESPOND TO THE DISEASES AND OTHER CLINICAL PROBLEMS OF OLDER PEOPLE. THE DIVISION OF BEHAVIORAL AND SOCIAL RESEARCH SUPPORTS RESEARCH THAT WILL LEAD TO GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF THE SOCIAL, CULTURAL, ECONOMIC AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS THAT AFFECT BOTH THE PROCESS OF GROWING OLD AND THE PLACE OF OLDER PEOPLE IN SOCIETY. THE DIVISION OF NEUROSCIENCE FOSTERS RESEARCH CONCERNED WITH THE AGE-RELATED CHANGES IN THE NERVOUS SYSTEM AS WELL AS THE RELATED SENSORY, PERCEPTUAL, AND COGNITIVE PROCESSES ASSOCIATED WITH AGING AND HAS A SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE. SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH (SBIR) PROGRAM: TO EXPAND AND IMPROVE THE SBIR PROGRAM, TO INCREASE PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF INNOVATIONS DERIVED FROM FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, TO INCREASE SMALL BUSINESS PARTICIPATION IN FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND TO FOSTER AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION OF SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS IN TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION. SMALL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER (STTR) PROGRAM: TO STIMULATE AND FOSTER SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION THROUGH COOPERATIVE RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT CARRIED OUT BETWEEN SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, TO FOSTER TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER BETWEEN SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, TO INCREASE PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIALIZATION OF INNOVATIONS DERIVED FROM FEDERAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND TO FOSTER AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION OF SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS AND WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS IN TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION.

93.866 - Aging Research

National Institute on Aging (NIA) [HHS - NIH]

Chicago, Illinois 606113010 United States

Single Zip Code

Alzheimers Disease Research Centers (P30 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) (RFA-AG-21-019)

Amendment Since initial award the total obligations have increased 415% from $3,319,145 to $17,093,229.