SYSTEMS INTEGRATION AND THERAPEUTICS TRANSLATION IN ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

Human genetic studies conducted by us and others strongly implicate microglia, the brain's 'trash collector' cells, as key players in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here, we propose to integrate genetics and genomics data in order to identify 1) genes that regulate the function of these cells and modulate AD susceptibility, and 2) drugs that boost the ability of these cells to dispose of the waste that accumulates during aging and, in so doing, reduce the risk of developing AD.