Why Alzheimer's affects people differently
Discovering Heterogeneous Causal Pathophysiology of Alzheimer's Disease
Using existing Alzheimer's imaging and clinical data, researchers will identify which patient groups and timing are most likely to benefit from amyloid- or tau‑lowering treatments for people with or at risk for Alzheimer's.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Berkeley NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Berkeley, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11332981 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project analyzes already-collected medical, imaging, and biomarker data from many people with or at risk for Alzheimer's. Researchers will create new statistical tools to find subgroups who show different biological pathways linking amyloid, tau, and thinking abilities. They will map when in the disease course lowering amyloid or tau is most likely to help cognition for each subgroup. The team will apply these methods across diverse datasets to find consistent patterns and treatment windows.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people with early Alzheimer's disease or mild cognitive impairment, those with amyloid or tau biomarker results, and individuals with genetic risk factors such as APOE ε4.
Not a fit: People with advanced dementia, those without AD biomarkers or with non‑Alzheimer's causes of cognitive decline, may not benefit directly from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help doctors target amyloid- or tau‑lowering treatments to the right people at the right time to improve thinking and memory.
How similar studies have performed: Recent trials of drugs like lecanemab and donanemab have shown clinical benefit for some participants, but this novel methods work aims to clarify which subgroups and timings drive those benefits.
Where this research is happening
Berkeley, United States
- University of California Berkeley — Berkeley, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wang, Jingshen — University of California Berkeley
- Study coordinator: Wang, Jingshen
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 below.