# Genome Center for Alzheimer's Disease (GCAD)

> **NIH NIH U54** · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · 2024 · $3,948,891

## Abstract

Overall Project Summary
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) affects 5.8 million people in the United States, and is an immense
burden on patients, caregivers and on the economy. No disease-modifying treatments or
preventions exist, and we need better understanding of the disease and new therapeutic
strategies. Genetic discoveries are one source of candidate therapeutic targets. One source of
genetic targets is the Alzheimer’s Disease Sequencing Project (ADSP), a National Institute on
Aging (NIA) initiative since 2012 to sequence genomes and exomes of AD subjects and
cognitively normal elderly controls.
The Genome Center for Alzheimer’s Disease (GCAD) is the analysis coordinating center for the
ADSP. In the previous grant cycle, GCAD processed all AD-relevant sequencing data producing
harmonized genetic data for AD research. This renewal responds to the increase in the amount
and complexity of ADSP sequence data, the collection of new types of data, and an expansion
of the types of analysis being performed. In addition to sequence data, GCAD will harmonize
functional genomics data. GCAD will provide fully quality-controlled and annotated genetic and
functional genomics data that is analysis ready. In addition to AD, GCAD will also work with
data for AD related disorders (ADRD). These include frontotemporal dementias (FTDs),
progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), corticobasal degeneration (CBD), Lewy body dementia
(LBD), and Parkinson’s disease with dementia (PD-d).
In the Y6-10 funding period, GCAD will assemble and harmonize whole-genome/whole-exome
sequencing data, and provide it to ADSP investigators and the general scientific community.
GCAD will work with US and non-US groups to analyze data by fostering a collaborative
environment, and providing infrastructure support. GCAD will also assemble and harmonize
functional genomics data which will be integral to identifying genes as candidate drug targets.
The research plan will lead to a high quality, comprehensive, harmonized collection of genetic
and functional data with detailed supporting resources including documentation and optimized
computer codes. This resource will be invaluable for the entire AD research community.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10828720
- **Project number:** 5U54AG052427-09
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
- **Principal Investigator:** GERARD DAVID SCHELLENBERG
- **Activity code:** U54 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $3,948,891
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2016-04-15 → 2026-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10828720

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10828720, Genome Center for Alzheimer's Disease (GCAD) (5U54AG052427-09). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10828720. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*