Study Overview
The Iqbal Farrukh and Asad Jamal Stanford ADRC is part of a nationwide network of NIA-designated Centers of Excellence. Its mission is to facilitate multidisciplinary research on Alzheimer's disease and the Lewy body (LB) spectrum of cognitive impairment through deep phenotyping — integrating clinical, neuropsychological, imaging, genomic, proteomic, and neuropathological data from the same individuals followed over time.
Healthy adults serve as a comparison population and as a preclinical population for studying mechanisms of cognitive aging and clinical transition. People with Parkinson's disease without cognitive impairment serve as at-risk comparators for LB-spectrum cognitive impairment. Together these groups enable unique parallel study of AD and LB disorders, providing insights into pathogenesis, preclinical diagnosis, transitions, and therapeutic approaches.
80%
Brain donation consent
2015
Initial funding (P50)
Research Cores (P30AG066515)
Administrative Core
Coordinates ADRC infrastructure, development projects, and contributions to national repositories (NACC, NCRAD, NIAGADS).
Clinical Core
Enrolls participants; annual neurological exams, neuropsychological testing, and consensus diagnoses using CDR and NACC UDS procedures.
Biomarker Core
Fluid biospecimens (plasma, CSF), whole genome sequencing, immune cell profiling, and plasma/CSF proteomics (SomaScan v4.1).
Imaging Core
Structural MRI (T1, FLAIR), amyloid PET (Florbetaben), tau PET, FDG-PET; processed FreeSurfer outputs and regional SUVRs.
Neuropathology Core
Brain autopsies; well-characterized tissues; quantitative molecular data from high-content imaging; fibroblast cell lines.
Data Management & Statistics
REDCap database; research datasets; biostatistical consultation; bioinformatics and AI tools for big data research.
Cohort Design
Community-dwelling adults from Santa Clara and San Mateo counties (primary catchment, ~2.7M residents), with emphasis on Hispanic/Latino older adults who are underrepresented in AD research. Participants undergo annual comprehensive assessments and are followed longitudinally.
Participant Groups
Healthy Controls (HC)~55%
Mild Cognitive Impairment~15%
Alzheimer's Disease~18%
Parkinson's Disease / PD-MCI~8%
Lewy Body Dementia (DLB/PDD)~4%
Annual Assessment Protocol
Neurological exam and full cognitive battery
Annual blood draw (PBMCs, plasma, DNA)
MRI (T1, FLAIR) and amyloid/tau PET imaging
CSF lumbar puncture every 3 years (consenting)
Brain donation at autopsy (80% consent rate)
Inclusion & Diagnosis
Adults aged 50+ from the Bay Area. Consensus diagnoses are assigned using Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) scale and NACC Uniform Data Set procedures by board-certified neurologists and neuropsychologists. Biomarker classification follows the NIA-AA A-T-N framework (CSF Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio, amyloid PET, hippocampal volume).
Available Data Types
Six primary data modalities available through this hub. All data are de-identified. Access requires a Data Use Agreement (DUA).
Cognitive Scores
Annual neuropsychological assessments: MMSE, MoCA, CDR, ADAS-Cog, Trail Making A/B, Digit Span, Boston Naming, Category/Letter Fluency, Logical Memory, CVLT. Longitudinal data across multiple visits.
Imaging Phenotypes
Structural MRI (T1, FLAIR), amyloid PET (18F-Florbetaben), tau PET, FDG-PET. FreeSurfer-processed cortical thickness, hippocampal volume, and regional SUVRs. Raw data via NACC.
Whole Genome Sequencing
Short-read WGS (MGI, ~30x) and long-read nanopore sequencing. SNV/indel calls, structural variants, APOE genotype, AD polygenic risk scores. Data deposited at NIAGADS.
PBMC scRNAseq
Single-cell RNA sequencing from peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Cell-type resolved immune profiles across diagnostic groups. Collected annually.
CSF Proteomics
Lumipulse assays (Abeta42, Abeta40, p-tau181, t-tau; Abeta42/40 <0.091 = amyloid positive) and Olink proximity extension assay. Collected every 3 years from consenting participants.
Plasma Proteomics
Longitudinal plasma proteomics via SomaScan v4.1 (~7,000 proteins). Available via Global Neurodegeneration Proteomics Consortium (GNPC) at ADRD Data Foundry. Annual blood draws from all participants.
Publications
Publications from the Stanford ADRC acknowledging NIH/NIA grant P30AG066515, sorted by year. Full list at med.stanford.edu/adrc/research.html.
2025
Plasma proteomics links brain and immune system aging with healthspan and longevity
Oh HS, Le Guen Y, Rappoport N, et al. · Nature Medicine 2025 · PMID:40634782
Long-read genome sequencing and multi-omics in aging and neurodegeneration
Jensen TD, Le Guen Y, Talozzi L, et al. · medRxiv 2025 · doi:10.1101/2025.10.10.25337775
Parkinson's disease is characterized by vitamin B6-dependent inflammatory kynurenine pathway dysfunction
Wilson EN, Umans J, Swarovski MS, et al. · NPJ Parkinson's Disease 2025 · PMID:40287426
The effect of Alzheimer's disease genetic factors on limbic white matter microstructure
Lorenz A, Sathe A, et al. (ADNI) · Alzheimer's & Dementia 2025 · PMID:40219815
2024
Post-translational modifications linked to preclinical Alzheimer's disease pathological and cognitive changes
Abiose O, Rutledge J, Moran-Losada P, et al. · Alzheimer's & Dementia 2024 · PMID:38146099
Comprehensive proteomics of CSF, plasma, and urine identify DDC and other biomarkers of early Parkinson's disease
Rutledge J, Lehallier B, Zarifkar P, et al. · Acta Neuropathologica 2024 · PMID:38467937
Florbetaben amyloid PET acquisition time: Influence on Centiloids and interpretation
Johns E, Vossler HA, Young CB, et al. · Alzheimer's & Dementia 2024 · PMID:38962867
Temporal tau asymmetry spectrum influences divergent behavior and language in Alzheimer's disease
Younes K, Smith V, Johns E, et al. · Brain, Behavior, and Immunity 2024 · PMID:38710339
Impaired 24-h activity patterns associated with risk of AD, Parkinson's disease, and cognitive decline
Winer JR, Lok R, Weed L, et al. · Alzheimer's Research & Therapy 2024 · PMID:38347552
Lateral thinking: Neurodegeneration of the cortical cholinergic system in Alzheimer's disease
Crockett RA, Casselton C, Howard TM, et al. · Neurobiology of Disease 2024 · PMID:39307400
Diagnosis and Management of Progressive Corticobasal Syndrome
Nouh CD, Younes K. · Current Treatment Options in Neurology 2024 · PMID:39886562
INviting Veterans InTo Enrollment in Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers (INVITE-ADRC)
Padula CB, Ball S, Wyman MF, et al. · Alzheimer's & Dementia 2024 · PMID:38348782
2023
Organ aging signatures in the plasma proteome track health and disease
Oh HS, Rutledge J, Nachun D, et al. · Nature 2023 · PMID:38057571
Illusory responses across the Lewy body disease spectrum
Shahid M, Rawls A, Ramirez V, et al. · Annals of Neurology 2023 · PMID:36511519
Reduced cortical cholinergic pathway integrity in Parkinson's disease-related cognitive impairment
Crockett RA, Wilkins KB, Aditham S, Brontë-Stewart HM. · Neurobiology of Disease 2023 · PMID:37524210
Cerebellar volume and disease staging in Parkinson's disease: ENIGMA-PD Study
Kerestes R, Laansma MA, Poston KL, et al. · Movement Disorders 2023 · PMID:37964373
Reliability of remote NACC Uniform Data Set data collection
Smith V, Younes K, Poston KL, Mormino EC, Young CB. · Alzheimer's & Dementia (Amsterdam) 2023 · PMID:38034852
2021–2022
Divergent cortical tau PET patterns among patients with preclinical Alzheimer disease
Young CB, Winer JR, Younes K, et al. · JAMA Neurology 2022 · PMID:35435938
Performance of a fully-automated Lumipulse plasma phospho-tau181 assay for Alzheimer's disease
Wilson EN, Young CB, Ramos Benitez J, et al. · Alzheimer's Research & Therapy 2022 · PMID:36376980
Association of short and long sleep duration with amyloid-beta burden and cognition in aging
Winer JR, Deters KD, Kennedy G, et al. · JAMA Neurology 2021 · PMID:34338697