The goal of this research project is to understand how someone’s genetic risk for, or vulnerability to, infection, influences their risk for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia. Moreover, we think that this genetic vulnerability to infection may increase someone’s risk for Alzheimer’s disease through increases in various circulating proteins. Existing research evidence has identified (1) a link between infection and Alzheimer’s disease risk; (2) genetic variants associated with infection susceptibility; and (3) variation in circulating proteins influencing Alzheimer’s disease risk. Our goal is to test a complete model linking each of these pathways. This project has implications for public health, namely identification of a pathway that could be targeted to protect against the development and/or progression of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia.
