ABSTRACT – CORE F: BIOMARKER CORE Biomarkers are becoming instrumental components of effective clinical management and trial coordination for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD), and will be required to enable precision medicine approaches to diagnosis and treatment. The primary functions of the newly added Biomarker Core (BC) of the Michigan Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (MADRC) will be to facilitate innovative research into established and novel blood biomarkers, and provide expertise and access to biomarker assay technologies for investigators at the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Wayne State University, as well as other ADRCs. The overall goal of the BC is to use cutting-edge ultrasensitive ELISA and quantitative mass spectrometry (MS) approaches to measure biomarkers in blood, identify and build novel blood-based biomarker assays, and integrate biomarkers with clinical measures of disease. We will leverage MADRC resources from ongoing and future efforts to achieve this goal and promote studies that align with the MADRC’s central theme to identify, understand and modulate the many factors beyond β-amyloid contributing to ADRD. The diverse patient population in the MADRC’s longitudinal cohort and other ongoing clinical research efforts, coupled with the ability to develop novel biomarker assays, will significantly enhance the ability of the BC to focus on unique questions regarding the extent to which current and novel biomarker targets enhance diagnostic accuracy, and track disease progression and predictability over time in multiple patient populations, including underrepresented racial/ethnic groups. The BC will pursue the following five aims: 1) provide measurements of established blood biomarkers, 2) develop and implement novel biomarker assays, 3) facilitate integration of blood biomarkers with established clinical practices to advance translational research, 4) contribute blood biomarker data to the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center, and 5) educate and train health care professionals, scientists and students in the use of biomarker assays. The BC goals and aims will be achieved by working closely with the MADRC Clinical Core, Data Management and Statistical Core, Neuroimaging Core, Neuropathology Core, and Research Education Component. Through these efforts, the BC will markedly enhance research supported by the MADRC, leading to a sustained and significant impact for the field as we build a comprehensive assessment of the diagnostic and the predictive utility of blood-based biomarker profiles. We will also interface with other ADRCs and investigators to help shape an evolving clinical landscape for dementia evaluation and treatment.