Core D: Neuropathology Core

ABSTRACT – NEUROPATHOLOGY CORE The Neuropathology Core will play a pivotal role to help achieve the overall Rush ADRC goals by supporting, promoting and facilitating innovative translational research. Specifically, the Neuropathology Core will promote collaborative, transparent, and reproducible research by providing investigators with expertise, mentoring, and a comprehensive and unique resource of biospecimens and data using contemporary laboratory methods, state-of-the-art diagnostics, and sophisticated statistical support and data management. The Neuropathology Core will do this in participation with the Administrative, Data Management and Statistical, Biomarker and Neuroimaging, and Outreach, Recruitment and Engagement Cores, and the Research Education Component working with ADRC core leaders and other colleagues and focusing on our well-characterized subjects in the Clinical Core, Religious Orders Study (ROS) and Latino Cores. Specifically, the Neuropathology Core will (1) Use rapid autopsy and optimal biospecimen collection procedures to obtain antemortem (blood, lymphocytes, DNA) and postmortem (brain, cerebrospinal fluid) biospecimens (2) Preserve, process and store antemortem (blood, lymphocytes, DNA) and postmortem (brain and CSF) biospecimens for clinical-pathologic and innovative translational research by using uniform best practice procedures for research studies while maintaining flexibility to accommodate special needs of specific researchers, studies, and collaborations. (3) Perform state-of-the-art assessments on brain tissue using contemporary macroscopic and microscopic procedures and collect state-of-the-art neuropathologic data and diagnoses, including data on AD, Lewy body, TDP, and HS, and vascular (gross and microinfarcts, hemorrhages, atherosclerosis, arteriolosclerosis, and cerebral amyloid angiopathy) pathologies to support a wide range of studies. (4) Distribute antemortem and postmortem specimens and data, share expertise, and mentor junior researchers and faculty in neuropathology by making biospecimens, data, and expertise assessable to junior and established investigators within and across the ADRC community, and outside of the centers; also partaking in collaborative studies with other centers and projects funded by the National Institution Aging (e.g., NACC, ADGC) and other organizations seeking to advance research in AD/ADRD. (5) Catalogue all biospecimens, photography, neuropathologic data and diagnoses, digital slide images and tissue distribution, using modern and secure data management systems. These activities will support, promote and facilitate innovative translational research that will lead to effective prevention, diagnosis, and interventions for Alzheimer’s disease and Alzheimer’s Disease Related Disorders.