The role of early educational contexts in differential genetic susceptibility to cognitive impairment and dementia

项目总结 尽管教育经常被认为是预防阿尔茨海默病和相关疾病的最重要的保护因素 痴呆症(ADRD)，这一领域的大多数研究忽略了学校教育的背景 地点。此外，它还没有考虑早期教育背景是否以及如何塑造这种关系 遗传学和ADRD之间的关系，尽管ADRD有很强的遗传成分。在过去的几年里 多年来，我一直在开发一个研究计划，以促进对教育作用的科学理解 患痴呆症的风险。这项职业生涯中期独立科学家(K02)奖励建议建立在此基础上，由 将我在教育和ADRD方面的专业知识扩展到遗传学领域。我的长期职业目标是建立 我是一名国内和国际的反兴奋剂专家。为了实现这一目标，我确定了四个目标： K02项目的一部分：1)发展使用ADRD遗传标记的知识和高级分析技能 以及认知障碍和痴呆症的多基因风险评分；2)与已建立的 在广泛和具体的人口研究中使用基因数据方面有专长的社会科学家 ADRD；3)扩展我目前资助的研究(R01AG067536)，以检查遗传易感性如何 认知障碍和痴呆症与早期教育背景相互作用，可能导致不同的风险 认知下降和损害；以及4)应用从K02奖中获得的数据和知识来确保 额外的R01和P30级别资金，以支持我在ADRD的研究计划并建设机构能力 在马里兰大学的老龄化和ADRD，学院公园和华盛顿特区地区。要实现我的 K02目标，我已经建立了一个合作者团队，他们是领先的ADRD研究人员或社会科学家 拥有遗传学方面的专业知识，并将共同为我的职业发展做出贡献 ADRD环境(E)研究员。此外，我拥有必要的制度支持和环境，以 实施该项目。K02奖将加速我的研究计划，并使我成为一名大四学生 老龄化和ADRD方面的研究人员，为我提供了有保护的时间来发展战略协作、技能集、 以及对ADRD的遗传和生物学基础的知识。K02项目的发现将取得进展 对遗传和环境因素如何相互作用并导致不同大脑健康的科学理解 和功能，这是NIA的研究重点领域，可以为旨在降低痴呆症患病率的政策提供信息 在未来的老年人队列中。重要的是，我之前的学术成就、资助和指导成功提供了 我可以将K02提供的受保护时间和培训转化为指数级专业人员的证据 增长和科学影响。

PROJECT SUMMARY Although education is often cited as the most important protective factor against Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias (ADRD), most research in this area ignores the educational contexts in which that schooling took place. Moreover, it has yet to consider whether and how early educational contexts shape the relationship between genetics and ADRD, even though there is a strong genetic component to ADRD. Over the last several years, I have been developing a research program to advance scientific understanding of the role of education in dementia risk. This Mid-Career Independent Scientist (K02) award proposal builds upon this foundation by expanding my expertise in education and ADRD to the field of genetics. My long-term career goal is to establish myself as a national and international expert in ADRD. To achieve this goal, I have identified four objectives as part of the K02 project: 1) develop knowledge of and advanced analytic skills in using genetic markers of ADRD and polygenic risk scores for cognitive impairment and dementia; 2) cultivate new collaborations with established social scientists who have expertise in using genetic data in population studies broadly as well as specific to ADRD; 3) extend my currently funded research (R01AG067536) to examine how genetic susceptibility to cognitive impairment and dementia interacts with early educational contexts and may result in differential risk for cognitive decline and impairment; and 4) apply the data and knowledge gained from the K02 award to secure additional R01 and P30-level funding to support my research program in ADRD and build institutional capacity in aging and ADRD at the University of Maryland, College Park and the Washington D.C. area. To achieve my K02 objectives, I have established a team of collaborators who are leading ADRD researchers or social scientists with expertise in genetics and who will jointly contribute to my professional development as a gene (G) x environment (E) researcher in ADRD. Further, I have the institutional support and environment necessary to carry out the project. The K02 award will accelerate my research program and establish me as a senior investigator in aging and ADRD by providing me with protected time to develop strategic collaborations, skillsets, and knowledge in the genetic and biological underpinnings of ADRD. Findings from the K02 project will advance scientific understanding of how genetic and environmental factors interact and result in differential brain health and functioning, an NIA research priority area, and can inform policies aimed at reducing dementia prevalence in future cohorts of older adults. Importantly, my prior scholarly, funding, and mentoring success provide evidence that I can translate the protected time and training provided by the K02 into exponential professional growth and scientific impact.