Michigan Alzheimer's Disease Core Center

OVERALLAbstractThe Michigan Alzheimer?s Disease Core Center (Michigan ADCC) aims to foster and enhance innovativeresearch in Alzheimer?s disease (AD) and related dementias with a long term goal of developing targetedtherapies for these challenging disorders. This center will build on the existing deep infrastructure and researchstrengths in dementia and aging research at the University of Michigan (UM). The Michigan ADCC willemphasize research that seeks to identify, understand, and modulate the non-ß-amyloid factors that contributeto brain dysfunction and neurodegeneration in AD and other dementias. The rationale for this focus is thatwhile recent advances have defined a central role for ß-amyloid in AD, many potentially modifiable factorsbeyond ß-amyloid contribute to brain dysfunction and degeneration yet remain poorly understood. TheMichigan ADCC will leverage established strengths in brain imaging, dementia risk identification anddisclosure, mechanistic studies of neurodegenerative proteinopathies, and predictive Big Data analytics toachieve this objective. A truly regional center, the Michigan ADCC will promote research across the UMcampus, throughout the state of Michigan via collaborations with our partner universities Michigan StateUniversity and Wayne State University, and across the nation through collaborations with other NIA-sponsoredAD Centers (ADCs) and programs. The Michigan ADCC has four goals: 1) Foster, catalyze and performresearch of the highest potential impact in AD and related neurodegenerative disorders; 2) Promote regionalefforts to understand, diagnose and treat AD and related dementias through collaborative scientific andoutreach efforts; 3) Provide a wide range of training and research opportunities in the dementias for healthcare professionals, scientists, and students through innovative educational and mentoring efforts; and 4)Collaborate with other ADCs, the NACC, and other multi-center research efforts to move the field closer toeffective therapies for this group of devastating diseases. Success in achieving these goals will be ensuredthrough the fully integrated activities of six cores (Administrative; Clinical; Data Management and Statistical;Neuropathology; Outreach and Recruitment; and Research Education Component ), and through closecollaboration with related programs including the UM Protein Folding Diseases Initiative, Claude D. PepperOlder Americans Independence Center, Udall Center of Excellence for Parkinson?s Disease Research, andHealthier Black Elders Center of the Michigan Center for Urban African American Aging Research. These andother collaborations have led to newly developed emphases on the detection of early cognitive decline in anunderserved population (African Americans in Detroit) and on novel potential biomarkers of disease. TheCenter?s extensive preliminary organization and teams of experts ensure that, upon receiving NIA designation,the Michigan ADCC will have an immediate impact, both regionally and nationally, in enhancing research tobetter understand and treat AD and related forms of dementia.