Disease Mechanisms: Epigenetics programs (Milestone 2.C)

Create research programs on epigenetics to understand how genetic and environmental factors interact across the lifespan to influence brain aging and risk for disease and to identify potential targets for treatment and prevention.

Success Criteria

Launch at least 6 new projects focused on exploring epigenetic mechanisms that underlie the heterogeneity of AD and AD-related dementias and the causal role of the exposome in brain aging and AD/ADRD.

Summary of Key Accomplishments

NIA supports a growing portfolio of grants exploring how epigenetic factors/mechanisms influence AD risk and resilience through targeted funding initiatives as well as investigator-initiated research. NIA’s targeted initiative, the Alzheimer’s Disease Sequencing Project Functional Genomics Consortium, led to the funding of six large cross-disciplinary projects to systematically discover and characterize functional genomic and epigenomic elements and elucidate their roles and mechanisms of action underpinning the heterogeneity of AD/ADRD. The work supported through this consortium will illuminate new therapeutic opportunities.

This information is current as of March 2022.

Research Implementation Area: Research on Disease Mechanisms
Timeline: 2016–2021
Status: Achieved

Accomplishments/Implementation Activities

Funding Initiatives

Research Programs and Resources

Alzheimer’s Disease Sequencing Project (ADSP)