Aging

NIA-designated Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centers (ADRCs) serve as a national resource for research on the nature of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and AD-related dementias (ADRD) and the development of more effective approaches to prevention, diagnosis, care, and therapy. They create shared resources that support dementia-relevant research.

The research in the NES is aimed at investigating the interaction among brain pathologies and risk factors; identifying new risk factors for brain aging; developing new hypotheses about AD based on population research; and translating these factors to relevant public health prevention strategies to prevent brain changes leading to dementia.

Richard Spencer , Ph.D., M.D., Chief

Isabel Beerman , PhD, Chief

Myriam Gorospe , Ph.D., Chief

The overall goal of the Brain Aging and Behavior Section (BABS) is to improve cognitive outcomes with aging.

Christopher Ramsden , M.D., Ph.D., Chief

Bryan J. Traynor , M.D., Ph.D., Chief

The Neuromuscular Diseases Research Section investigates the causes and biology of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Our focus is on turning discoveries into better diagnosis and faster development of treatments. We combine large-scale human genetics with detailed molecular profiling to understand disease processes, improve patient grouping, and create biomarkers and outcome tools for clinical trials.

Huaibin Cai , Ph.D., Chief

Our research focuses on elucidating the circuit- and cell-type–specific mechanisms that drive age-related neurodegenerative disorders, with a primary focus on Parkinson’s disease (PD). PD is a rapidly growing neurodegenerative condition that disproportionately affects older adults and manifests not only with progressive motor impairments but also with debilitating non-motor symptoms — such as depression, chronic pain, cognitive decline, and dementia — that remain inadequately treated.