Abstract: Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease are the two most common neurodegenerative disorders. The frequency of both has increased with the aging of the world’s population. Genetics has elucidated key mechanisms of disease risk which are now being targeted for novel therapeutics. Ameliorating symptoms once an individual has been diagnosed is likely too late to dramatically alter disease course. Current goals are to develop approaches to identify those at greatest risk and identify biomarkers which can then be used in trials to not only delay but potentially deter disease onset. This presentation will review the genetics underlying these disorders and discuss ongoing approaches to prepare for future trials in prodromal individuals.

Bio: Tatiana Foroud, PhD, is the Executive Associate Dean for Research Affairs, the August M. Watanabe Professor for Medical Research, and remains as the Joe C. Christian Professor and Chair of the Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics. Dr. Foroud is also a Distinguished Professor and a Chancellor’s Professor, IUPUI.  Over the course of her more than 25 years with IU School of Medicine, Dr. Foroud has been actively involved in the genetics of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease as well as studies of alcoholism and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. A statistical geneticist by training, she leads several large NIH-funded biorepositories focused on the development of effective biomarkers of disease onset and progression.

~BME Host: Craig Goergen~