# Neuropathology Core

> **NIH NIH P30** · UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM · 2024 · $532,759

## Abstract

ABSTRACT: NEUROPATHOLOGY CORE
 The NP Core supports the Center’s overarching focus on Deep South disparities in dementia. Black or
African American (B/AA) individuals are more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease and related dementias
(ADRD), yet there is a lack of neuropathological data available to better comprehend the underlying
mechanisms of ADRD in this population. The UAB NP core is well-positioned to help address this unmet need.
The NP Core is the home for biospecimen banking and distribution for the ADRC, and thus coordinates both
the Center’s brain/tissue donation and fluid biomarker programs. The Center's Clinical Core cohort to date is
47% B/AA, with high rates of preconsent to brain donation. During the P20 phase, the NP core recruited a
board-certified neuropathologist, Dr. Rati Chkheidze, to lead the NP core and will continue to partner with a
senior leader of an established ADRC NP Core, Dr. William Seeley (UCSF), for oversight and mentoring with a
goal of full independence by the end of the funding cycle. We have developed processes for brain donation
preconsent, timely perimortem coordination of brain procurement, rigorous neuropathological diagnosis and
reporting, tissue storage, quality assessment, and distribution. We have launched a brain donation program,
collecting brains and other tissue from 18 cases across the state, conducting full neuropathological analysis
and diagnosis, banking fixed and frozen tissue, and completing and reporting NACC Neuropathology forms.
Collection of skin will facilitate innovative research on detection of multiprotein copathologies from an
accessible peripheral source. We have also built a growing collection of fluid biospecimens including CSF,
plasma, serum, PBMCs, buffy coats, DNA, RNA, and urine. We have established an early record of sharing by
distributing hundreds of aliquots from this biofluid repository. The NP Cores aims include providing accurate
neuropathological diagnosis on participants in the brain donation program, banking and distributing brain
tissue, skin tissue, and antemortem fluid biospecimens to investigators studying ADRD, educating clinicians
and investigators through a dynamic clinicopathologic conference program, and transitioning the UAB NP Core
to independent leadership by the end of the funding cycle.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10867871
- **Project number:** 1P30AG086401-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM
- **Principal Investigator:** Rati Chkheidze
- **Activity code:** P30 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $532,759
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-05-15 → 2029-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10867871

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10867871, Neuropathology Core (1P30AG086401-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10867871. Licensed CC0.

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