Biomarker Core

Led by Dr. Angus Nairn, PhD (Charles B.G. Murphy Professor of Psychiatry), the Biomarker Core plays a key role in the Yale ADRC by managing the Biospecimen Repository, consisting of both standard and novel biospecimens, and through the development and application of cutting-edge proteomic, epigenetic and bionformatics approaches to integrate high-dimensional multi-omics data. Thus, through its work the Yale ADRC Biomarker Core facilitates the development and validation of promising biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease susceptibility, improves AD risk prediction, and identifies promising directions for development of targeted interventions.

The Biomarker Core closely interacts with the other Cores of the Yale ADRC, especially with the Clinical and Neuropathology Cores for biobanking and distribution of biofluid and brain samples. The Biomarker Core also works closely with the Data Management and Statistics Core in the management of the Biospecimens Repository. The Core helps facilitate the integration of multi-omics data with data generated by the Clinical and Imaging Cores to assess and validate by standard and novel biomarkers aimed at capturing AD heterogeneity, susceptibility, and progression. Finally, we work with the Education component and Outreach Core to facilitate training and outreach in AD biomarker acquisition and use.

The Biomarker Core provides staff, technical resources, laboratory facilities and expertise in quantitative targeted mass spectrometric assays for the analysis of human AD brain samples and biofluids. The Biomarker Core will also provide tissue, methodologies, and advice to developmental projects and other researchers in the Yale ADRC, Yale researchers with an interest in AD, neurodegenerative disease and aging, and other ADRCs.