North Texas ADRC - Clinical Core

The Clinical Core of the North Texas ADRC will facilitate innovative research to support the theme of examining the roles and mechanisms of hypertension and other cardiometabolic factors in the early phases of AD/ADRD, developing innovative biomarkers for early detection, and identifying related therapeutic targets. The Clinical Core focuses on including cutting edge approaches and engaging individuals from diverse backgrounds identified through our community-based and clinic-based recruitment organized by the Outreach, Recruitment and Engagement (ORE) Core. Through interaction with the Biomarker and Imaging Core, we obtain their “ATN” classification and leverage the participant tracking and data infrastructure built by our Data Management, Informatics, and Statistical (DMIS) Core to manage recruitment, retention, study workflows, and uploads for National data sharing. Because ADRD in many cases has multiple coincident pathologies, it is critical to define phenotypic and genotypic parameters that aid in differential diagnosis, determination of risk factors, prediction of course of illness to identify relevant underlying neuropathology so that mechanism-based therapies can be developed and used efficiently. Our access to sociodemographically diverse populations will maximize our collaborative team’s ability to recruit and follow groups consistent with the ADRC research theme. The Clinical Core aims to recruit and retain a diverse cohort of well-characterized individuals enriched for high cardiometabolic risk and for the pre- and early symptomatic stages of AD/ADRD; Coordinate with other NT-ADRC cores to facilitate data and specimen sharing; facilitate investigator-initiated and externally sponsored research; and provide training and educational opportunities. It will serve as a regional hub for ADRD research and will be a resource for investigators and ongoing studies that require well-characterized clinical samples, biospecimens, and bioinformation. In conjunction with the other ADRC components, the Clinical Core will bring together North Texas investigators and provide logistical support and expert specialty consultation and collaboration for investigator-initiated and national multi-site projects to enhance multidisciplinary and translational ADRD research and education.