Brain cell atlas for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias
Official title: A multimodal brain cell atlas and community resource of Alzheimer's disease and comorbid dementias.
Funded at Allen Institute · NIH-11416698 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A large-scale project will map brain cells and their gene activity in people with Alzheimer's and related dementias to help researchers understand what goes wrong.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Allen Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project start | March 1, 2020 |
| Project end | August 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $14,095,165 |
| NIH project number | 5U19AG060909-07 |
| Project ID | NIH-11416698 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not applicable to living patients in this phase; findings are based on postmortem and foundational data applicable to future patient-centered research.
✕Less likely to help
This phase does not involve living participants directly.
What this research studies
This project uses cutting-edge single-cell and spatial genomics on postmortem human brains to identify which cell types are most affected by Alzheimer's disease and its comorbid dementias. It will build a deep, publicly available data resource that maps transcriptional and epigenetic patterns across disease stages and brain regions. The goal is to help patients and families by advancing knowledge that could guide future therapies and diagnostics. Researchers and clinicians will be able to explore the data to track disease progression and identify potential targets.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: In the long term, the atlas could accelerate development of targeted treatments and better diagnostics for Alzheimer's and related dementias.
How similar studies have gone: Previous atlasing efforts have established the value of multimodal brain cell maps and have informed understanding of disease trajectories.
Where this research is happening
-
Allen Institute
Seattle, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lein, Ed — Allen Institute
- Study coordinator: Lein, Ed
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.