# Clinical Core

> **NIH NIH P30** · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · 2021 · $840,069

## Abstract

Massachusetts Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center: Clinical Core
The Clinical Core of the Massachusetts Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (MADRC) parallels that of the
MADRC as a whole: to support research into the causes, mechanisms and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease
and Alzheimer-related disorders (AD/ADRD), with the eventual goal of cure and even prevention. To facilitate
research in these areas, we are revamping our Research Cohort of men and women from diverse ethnic and
racial backgrounds to achieve a larger number and greater diversity of impaired participants and pursue
universal deep clinical, imaging, and molecular phenotyping. This will enable the Cohort to serve as our
Center’s “laboratory” to understand disease heterogeneity and accelerate treatments for AD/ADRD. To
accomplish these goals, we have three sets of Aims:
The first group (Aims 1-4), intended to marshal resources, focuses on developing and maintaining a well-
characterized Research Cohort to ensure that we have sufficient numbers of MCI and dementia across
AD/ADRD. We bolster our recruiting of impaired individuals across AD/ADRD, and will submit annual UDS
evaluations to NACC and sample our participants for genetic, fluid, and imaging biomarkers, plus obtain
consent for brain donation. We also maintain a database of patients from the affiliated MGH Memory Division
clinics (Memory Disorders, FTD and DLB) to refer a larger pool of “research ready” participants (Research
Cohort plus Clinic Patients) to a wide range of local and national observational studies and clinical trials.
The second group (Aims 5-6), intended to develop new strategies, focuses on achieving universal deep
phenotyping of our Research Cohort and developing and validating novel clinical instruments for early
detection for use in clinical settings and clinical trials. We will use our Research Cohort, with deep clinical,
imaging and molecular phenotyping, as our Center’s “laboratory” to test hypotheses about clinical and
biological differences and commonalities in AD/ADRD and to develop and validate biomarkers that may
expedite target discovery and clinical trial process. We will continue to share our data and discoveries with
other ADRCs and the broader scientific community for validation and implementation.
The final group (Aims 7-8), intended to build the future, focuses on training future generations clinician-
scientists and on promoting dementia prevention efforts and research opportunities to individuals in the
community, particularly those from underserved minorities. These efforts will be done in close collaboration
with REC and ORE Core. We aim to engage all stakeholders - patients, caregivers, clinicians and researchers
- as direct partners to accelerate toward a cure for AD/ADRD.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10129260
- **Project number:** 5P30AG062421-03
- **Recipient organization:** MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL
- **Principal Investigator:** Teresa Gomez-Isla
- **Activity code:** P30 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $840,069
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-04-15 → 2024-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10129260

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10129260, Clinical Core (5P30AG062421-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10129260. Licensed CC0.

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