KU Alzheimer’s Disease Center—The Executive Director’s Perspective

Anne Arthur, BSN, MS, APRN-BCKU Alzheimer’s Disease Center Executive Director

www.kualzheimer.org

Objectives

• Discuss the history of the KU Alzheimer’s Disease Center (KU ADC)

• Identify the accomplishments of the KU ADC since inception

• Explore ways the KU ADC can support investigators

History of the ADC

• NIA-Division of Neuroscience • Established in 1984• Goal: promote research network on AD• 29 centers in the US• National meetings twice a year

Alzheimer’s Disease Centers (ADC)—29

Timeline

1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015

NIA establish

es ADCs (

1984)

KU ADC Funded (1

991-1996)

Dr. Jeffrey B

urns joins f

aculty

(2004)

Dr. Russe

ll Swerdlow jo

ins facu

lty (2

007)

ADC resu

bmission to

NIA (2010)

KU ADC funded (8

/15/2011)

ADC application to

NIA (2009)

KU ADC• Director: Russell Swerdlow• 7 Cores• Aims

1-Support AD, AD-related, and brain aging research projects

2-Provide advanced services that facilitate ground-breaking metabolism research

KU ADC Structure

Administrative Core

Clinical CoreData

Management and Statistics Core

NeuropathologyCore

Education and Information

Transfer Core

Neuroimaging Core

Mitochondria Genomics and

Metabolism Core

KU ADC-Specific Cores

Administrative CoreLeader: Russell Swerdlow, MD

• Goals– Provides oversight to the KU ADC– Promotes AD, MCI and brain aging research• Pilot Program• Resource Request

– Expands KUs base of clinical, translational and basic science investigators• Collaborative REsearch Workgroup (CREW) meetings

Advisory Boards

Internal Advisory BoardRandy NudoCarol CleekJoseph DonnellyPaul TerranovaPeter SmithRichard BarohnSteven WarrenSusan KemperRobert Krumlauf

External Advisory BoardCharles DeCarliAngela JeffersonNigel CairnsWalter KukullThomas MontineWilliam JagustTeresa Radebaugh

Projects Supported

• 18 Federal – 2 P01 (Michaelis, Kouhlen)– 7 R01 (Burns, Williams, Berman, Zhu)

• 15 Foundation• 5 Training awards• 11 Therapeutic trials– ADCS– Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation– Pharmaceutical

Clinical CoreLeader: Jeffrey Burns, MD

• Goals– Cohort of nondemented, MCI and AD subjects– Support and encourage collaborative

interdisciplinary studies• Data• Biological specimens• Clinical research infrastructure

– Burns elected to National ADC Steering Committee and ADC Clinical Task Force

Clinical Core

• 400 well-characterized participantsNormal MCI AD Total

Age > 60 y.o. Any age Any age

Enrolled to date

119 51 58 234

Goal 200 100 100 400

Clinical Core EvaluationClinical

Evaluation(CDR)

Memory Testing

Labs/Physical Function Testing/

DEXA

Visit 1

Visit 2

Visit 3

Yearly

Yearly

Every 3 years

Data Collection• Clinical Evaluation

– Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) Scale– Neurological Exam

• Memory testing

• Physical Function testing• DEXA scan

MMSELogical Memory I & IIDigit Span Forwards/BackwardsCategory FluencyTrailmaking A & BDigit Symbol

Boston Naming TestBlock DesignStroopFree and Cued SRTLetter Number Sequencing

Specimen Collection

• Processed and stored in the Biospecimen Shared Resource (BSR) Center

PlasmaBuffy CoatPlateletsSerumWhole Blood

Cell-free PlasmaCybrid Cell LinesDNARNA

National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center (NACC)

• Established by NIA in 1999• Support all ADCs• Database for clinical and neuropath data• Partners – National Alzheimer’s Disease Cell Repository

(NCRAD)– Alzheimer’s Disease Genetics Consortium (ADGC)

• Free to investigators

Data/Specimen Sharing

KU ADC

National Alzheimer’s

Coordinating Center (NACC)

National Cell Repository for

Alzheimer’s Disease (NCRAD)/Alzheimer’s

Disease Genetics Consortium (ADGC)

Clinica

l and

Cogniti

ve da

ta DNA

Data Management and Statistics CoreLeader: Jonathan Mahnken, PhD

• Goals– Provide statistical expertise– Develop Data and Information Management and

Monitoring Systems

• Mahnken elected to NACC Scientific Review Committee 2011-2014

• Present national ADC meeting 10/2012

Neuropathology CoreLeader: Kathy Newell, MD

• Goals– Autopsy human brain tissue from Clinical Core

participants – Autopsy animal models– Neuropathological consultation and specimen

sharing

Scanning and Imaging

Aperio Digital Scanning System Nikon Eclipse 80i + Metamorph

Brain Autopsy Program

• Clinical Core participants• Demented/non-demented brains• Neuropathology Case Conference– 2nd Thursday odd months, 4-5p, 1605 Surgical

Pathology, Microscope Room 2

Education & Information Transfer CoreLeader: Heather Anderson, MD

• Goals– Recruit/retain subjects • KU ADC Clinical Core cohort • Clinical Trial Unit (CTU)

– Train students and health professionals– Increase awareness of AD and the KU ADC

Recruitment/Retention

• Presentations• Newsletters• Social Media– Facebook– Twitter– Electronic newsletter

• Birthday Cards• Annual Appreciation Breakfast

Recruitment SourcesGrayHawk

Public Pre-sentation

Brochure

Health Care Professional

KU ADC Website

Newspaper Ad

RadioFamily

Friend

Other

TV

Recruitment Flow

Clinical Core

Ed Core

Clinical Trial Unit

Investigator-Initiated studies

Education/Outreach

• Seminar Series on Health, Aging and Dementia– Partner with LCOA and GPGEC

• Alzheimer’s and Aging Research Colloquium– Partner with LCOA and GPGEC

• Healthy Aging Symposium– Partner with JCCC

• Annual Appreciation Breakfast• Lectures/presentations• Student observership

Neuroimaging CoreLeader: William Brooks, PhD

• Goals– Advanced scientific support and subsidized scans

for AD research– Advanced training and education in imaging– Develop novel imaging techniques for studies in

AD

Hoglund Brain Imaging Center

• Instrumentation– 3 Tesla Siemens Skyra human MRI scanner– 9.4T Varian/Agilent animal MRI scanner– PET/CT Scanner (General Electric DST) (including cyclotron

CTI (Siemens RDS 111)– 151-channel whole-head CTF MEG unit (including

simultaneous 160 channel EEG)

Novel Imaging Techniques

• Translation of imaging protocols to new 3T scanner

• Glutathione (GSH) spectroscopic imaging sequence

• Vitamin C spectroscopic imaging sequence under development

• Neurochemical profile from MRS

Mitochondrial Genomics& Metabolism Core

Leaders: Eli Michaelis, MD, PhD & Mary L. Michaelis, PhD

• Goals– Prepare mitochondria, protein extracts, DNA, and

RNA– Prepare cybrid cell lines– Perform mtDNA sequencing and 8-OH-2-dG

measurements– Assist in AD mitochondrial research

Support for Investigators

• Pilot Grant Program• Resource Requests• Collaborative REsearch Workgroup (CREW)

Meetings

Pilot Grant Program

• 3-4 grants awarded annually (July 1st)– Dr. Nudo, Landon COA, funded 1 project yr 1 & 2

• $30,000 awarded/grant• RFA 2nd week in December• New and established investigators eligible to

apply• Contact: Eric Vidoni, PhD

Resource Requests

• Investigators conducting research on aging, MCI and AD can apply– Consultation– Services– Research materials

• http://www.kualzheimers.org/alzheimers-disease-center/researcher-resources/researcher-resource-request.html

Biospecimen Resources

• Brain Tissue• Buffy Coat• Cell-free Plasma• Cybrid Cell Lines• DNA• RNA

• Muscle• Plasma• Platelets• Serum• Whole Blood

Database Access

• Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative• National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center• Kansas University Brain Aging Project

Metabolism & Mitochondria Resources

• Physical fitness, glucose tolerance, metabolic rate, and body composition testing

• Structural brain neuroimaging of humans and animals• Metabolic neuroimaging of humans and animals

(FDG PET, AV-45 and MRS)• Biochemical assays • Mitochondria, protein extracts, DNA, and RNA• Cybrid cell lines• mtDNA sequencing and 8-OH-2-dG measurements

CREW Meetings

• Collaborative REsearch Workgroup (CREW) meetings

• 3rd Monday of every month in Clinical Research Center

• All investigators in aging and dementia welcome to attend

How you can help

• Refer study participants• Collaborate with us• Spread the word• Cite us• Complete REDCap survey for any KU ADC-

affiliated publications, presentations, etc.https://redcap.kumc.edu/surveys/?s=Tpmj5i

KU ADC TeamAdministrative CoreRussell Swerdlow, MDJeffrey Burns, MDAnne Arthur, APRNEric Vidoni, PhDBrad Amstein, BSClinical CoreJeffrey Burns, MDAnne Arthur, APRNRussell Swerdlow, MDHeather Anderson, MDDavid Johnson, PhDPhyllis SwitzerHilary Dubinsky, BSDiane CunninghamAshley ThompsonEducation and Information Transfer CoreHeather Anderson, MDAngela Van SciverMitochondrial, Genomics and Metabolism CoreEli Michaelis, MD, PhDMary Lou Michaelis, PhDRussell Swerdlow, MDXinkun Wang, PhD

Data Management and Statistics CoreJonathan D. Mahnken, PhDHung-Wen (Henry) Yeh, PhDRuss Waitman, PhDBhargav Adagarla, MSSuzanne Hunt, MSCathy Price, BSMani Nair, MS, MBAMegan Parks, AADan Connolly, BSAlexandra Brown, BSNeuropathology CoreKathy Newell, MDCynthia GouvionNeuroimaging CoreWilliam Brooks, PhDIn-Young Choi, PhD, MRPhil Lee, PhD, MRLaura Martin, PhDCary Savage, PhDReg Dusing, MD

How to Contact KU ADCKU Alzheimer’s Disease Center

(913) 588-0555kuamp@kumc.edu

www.kualzheimer.org

Research Requestshttp://

www.kualzheimers.org/alzheimers-disease-center/researcher-resources/researcher-resource-request.html

Data Corehttp://biostatistics.kumc.edu