# Elucidating Molecular Drivers of Aging and Alzheimer's Disease via Multimodal Imaging Mass Spectrometry

> **NIH NIH R01** · VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $762,725

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY: The overarching goal of the proposed work is to apply a platform of integrated
multiomic imaging modalities and spatially resolved molecular characterization technologies to normal
aging and Alzheimer’s disease brain tissues in order to discover and define key molecules and
pathways that drive the underlying heterogeneity of the disease. This work will leverage the unique
resources of the Mass Spectrometry Research Center and VU Biomolecular Imaging Center, as well
as the world-class clinical environment of the Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and the advanced
biocomputational infrastructure available through the data analysis laboratories at Vanderbilt University
and the Delft University of Technology. The main objectives of our proposed work, which we believe
will move the field forward, are to: (1) engage the molecular complexities of Alzheimer’s disease in a
new and robust way to create molecular atlases of the heterogenous neuropathologies observed in
human brain tissue, (2) define how the molecular underpinnings of neuritic plaques and neurofibrillary
tangles overlap with pathways implicated in contributory neuropathologies to inform more precise
development of experimental therapies; and (3) deploy multiomic tools to document cell-type specific
molecular changes between normal aging and Alzheimer’s disease in well-defined microanatomical
regions so changes in the metabolome, lipidome, proteome, and transcriptome can be attributed to the
correct cell types and microenvironment. With this suite of technologies, advanced data analysis
capabilities, and prior experience in developing atlases of healthy-for-age human tissues, this team will
generate datasets with unprecedented detail and the potential to drive molecular discovery. To
accomplish these aims, we assembled an interactive and established team of investigators, covering
complementary expertise in Alzheimer’s disease, cell biology, analytical chemistry, and data science;
and with direct in-house access to advanced instrumentation and facilities. We believe that our spatially
resolved and molecularly comprehensive approach will lead to improved mechanistic understanding of
Alzheimer’s disease and that these insights could inform better treatment options.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10516633
- **Project number:** 1R01AG078803-01
- **Recipient organization:** VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Rena A. S. Robinson
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $762,725
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-09-01 → 2027-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10516633

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10516633, Elucidating Molecular Drivers of Aging and Alzheimer's Disease via Multimodal Imaging Mass Spectrometry (1R01AG078803-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10516633. Licensed CC0.

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