Risk factors and prevention targets for abnormal cognitive aging

描述（由申请人提供）：本提案是Angela Jefferson博士在面向患者的研究（K24）中申请的职业中期研究者奖。Jefferson博士是一名临床医生兼科学家，他的跨学科研究项目专注于轻度认知障碍的早期标记识别，以及与阿尔茨海默病（AD）发病机制和临床表现有关的血液动力学因素。他是范德比尔特大学医学中心（Vanderbilt University Medical Center）神经病学副教授，也是范德比尔特记忆与阿尔茨海默氏症中心（Vanderbilt Memory & Alzheimer’s Center）的创始主任。在完成培训后的8年里，Jefferson博士展示了她对专业教育和指导的承诺，并已成为一名富有成效的以患者为导向的认知衰老研究人员，拥有强大的NIH资助和高影响力的出版记录。拟议的奖励将有助于为她提供受保护的时间，以扩大她在认知衰老患者导向研究方面的能力。特别是，她将在创新生物标志物的应用方面获得新的专业知识和实践技能，以更好地了解加速AD发病机制和临床表现的风险因素。此外，这将使她能够利用自己强大的研究项目作为一个平台，指导早期职业研究者，包括研究生、医学院学生、博士后研究员和初级教师，进行以患者为导向的认知衰老研究。该提案将PI的跨学科研究团队（包括神经心理学、心脏病学、内分泌学、老年病学、工程学、物理学、神经放射学和生物统计学）与范德比尔特记忆与阿尔茨海默氏症中心、范德比尔特大学成像科学研究所和范德比尔特临床与医学研究所相关的资源整合在一起

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal is a Midcareer Investigator Award in Patient-Oriented Research (K24) application for Angela Jefferson, PhD. Dr. Jefferson is a clinician-scientist whose interdisciplinary research program focuses on identification of early markers for mild cognitive impairment as well as hemodynamic factors contributing to the pathogenesis and clinical manifestation of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Dr. Jefferson is an Associate Professor of Neurology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the founding Director of the Vanderbilt Memory & Alzheimer's Center. In the 8 years since completing her training, Dr. Jefferson has demonstrated her commitment to professional education and mentorship and has established herself as a productive patient- oriented researcher in cognitive aging with strong NIH funding and a high-impact publication record. The proposed award will be instrumental in providing her protected time to expand her capabilities in cognitive aging patient-oriented research. In particular, she will gain new expertise and a practical skill set in the application of innovative biomarkers to better understand risk factors for accelerating the pathogenesis and clinical manifestation of AD. Furthermore, it will allow her to use her strong research program as a platform to mentor early career investigators, including graduate students, medical students, post-doctoral fellows, and junior faculty in patient-oriented research in cognitive aging. The proposal integrates the PI's interdisciplinary research team (including neuropsychology, cardiology, endocrinology, geriatrics, engineering, physics, neuroradiology, and biostatistics) with resources associated with the Vanderbilt Memory & Alzheimer's Center, the Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, and the Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical & Translational Research to offer a rich training environment for mentees. The training and research facilitated by this K24 mechanism will not only advance knowledge regarding early identification markers and vascular risk factors for AD, but it will also develop a cadre of next-generation cognitive aging researchers well-positioned to make meaningful contributions to the field.