Analytic

PROJECT SUMMARY – ANALYTIC CORE The mission of the Perimenopause in Brain Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease (P3) is to discover biological transformations in brain that occur during the perimenopausal transition that lead to endophenotypes predictive of risk for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Each year ~1.5 million American women enter into the perimenopause, a neuroendocrine transition state unique to the female. Herein, we focus on the neuro-immune system as a key driver of chronological and endocrinological aging that occurs in the midlife female brain. Our goals are to identify the mechanisms by which these transformations occur and to translate these discoveries into strategies to prevent conversion to an at-Alzheimer's-risk phenotype. Analytic Core contributes to meeting P3 goals by providing standardized sample banking, tracking, processing and distribution, as well as analytic and bioinformatic support across the Program Project. To achieve this mission, the Analytic Core will provide three levels of support. The first level of support entails standardized sample processing, quality control and sample management. The second level of support entails sample analysis on four major studies: tissue bulk RNA- sequencing gene expression analysis, single-cell / single-nucleus RNA-sequencing, global metabolomic analysis and comprehensive lipidomic analysis. The last level of support entails -omics data processing, bioinformatic analysis and interpretation. Outcomes of Analytic Core support will enable achieving the Perimenopause in Brain Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease Program Project mission and aims through the infrastructure and analytic and informatic capabilities it has developed. The P3 program of research addresses key strategic goals of the National Institutes on Aging’s 2016: Aging Well in the 21st Century: Strategic Directions for Research on Aging, specifically Goals A (1,2,3,7,8,11) & D (1,2,4).