Projects
We are actively engaged in several collaborative studies of aging in adults with DS to test the hypothesis that white matter integrity, cerebrovascular dysfunction and neuroinflammation contribute to cognitive decline and dementia.
By identifying key factors modifying or associated with the development of dementia in DS, we can identify novel targets for intervention that are highly likely to be unique to this vulnerable group of people.
Thus our lab has several projects as follows:
The overarching goal of our laboratory is to identify interventions for people with Down syndrome (DS) to slow or prevent the development of Alzheimer disease (AD).
Alzheimer's Biomarkers Consortium - Down Syndrome (ABC-DS)
This is a comprehensive multidisciplinary longitudinal assessment of biomarkers that may predict cognitive decline in 550 people with Down syndrome. Studies are focused on clinical, neuropsychological, MRI imaging, CSF, PET imaging, proteomics and metabolomics. Our lab is focused on examining the brain tissue from individuals who give the gift of brain donation.
The INCLUDE Project Down Syndrome Biorepository (DS-Biorepository)
The main goals of this proposal are to serve as the primary biorepository for biospecimens generated from INCLUDE-funded research, to coordinate the implementation of standard processes, protocols, and practices for biospecimen collection, and to develop a web-based interface to facilitate the search of publicly accessible biospecimens. The Head lab serves as a hub to support brain donations and post mortem samples to support research around the world. Dr. Head collaborates with Dr. Joaquin Espinosa, Dr. Matthew Galbraith and Dr. Angela Rachubinski.
Cerebrovascular contributions to Alzheimer’s disease in adults with Down syndrome
This project is examining neuroimaging, blood-based, and neuropathological markers of the vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in adults with Down syndrome (DS) from ABC-DS and from the UCI ADRC. Adults with DS are living much longer than previously, but virtually all develop the pathology and symptoms of AD by late adulthood. By examining the cerebrovascular component of AD and cognitive decline in adults with DS, this study will identify potential targets to mitigate the emerging public health crisis in this population and inform similar interventions in the neurotypical population. The Head lab collaborates with Dr. Adam Brickman, Dr. Patrick Lao and Dr. Donna Wilcock.
International Brain Bank for Down Syndrome-Related Alzheimer Disease
The purpose of this project is to determine the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the onset of Alzheimer disease in people with Down syndrome, and to develop a strong collaborate network that includes national and international contributors.
Alzheimer Disease Research Center
The Head laboratory is a member of the UCI MIND Alzheimer disease research center and provides support for the brain tissue repository as well implementing new protocols to scan neuropathology slides and provide quantitative neuropathology outcomes for researchers. Dr. Head also co-leads the DS Core in the ADRC, a unique Core that follows people with DS over the age of 18 years.
Shared resource to develop tools and reagents to study structural polymorphisms in Aβ amyloid aggregates in AD
Alzheimer’s disease is one of the major health and economic challenges of our time. There is an urgent need to understand the structurally polymorphic nature of amyloids with different structures accumulating in different neurodegenerative diseases and their subtypes. We have assembled a world class team of pathologists, biochemists, biophysicists and structural biologists to purify, structurally characterize and replicate homogeneous samples of the polymorphic brain amyloids and distribute them to researchers along with reagents and protocols to identify, quantify and authenticate them in vitro and in vivo. The Head lab collaborates with Dr. Charles Glabe, Dr. Michelle Digman and Dr. Shane Gonen.
