TRAINING PROGRAM
Description People Application Stipend

Richard Mayeux, MD, MSc

Research: Dr. Mayeux has led a multidisciplinary, population-based investigation of Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and stroke known as the Washington Heights-Inwood Community Aging Project. In 1992, Dr. Mayeux received the Leadership and Excellence in Alzheimer's Disease Award from the National Institute of Aging to continue his investigation of genetic and environmental interaction in the etiology and pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. He is one of the leading epidemiologists in the field of Alzheimer's Disease with a particular interest in minority health and aging. He was among the first to integrate molecular genetics and epidemiology in an attempt to identify biological markers of susceptibility to degenerative diseases of the aging nervous system such as Alzheimer's disease. In 1998, he began a study of Caribbean Hispanic families with Alzheimer's disease in order to identify new genes associated with this disorder.

Fellow Participation:

  • The Epidemiology of Dementia in an Urban Community-This is a population-based study of risk factors for Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. Genetic, biological and clinical indicators of risk are being collected in 2500 elderly age 65 and older from three ethnic groups (African-American, Caribbean Hispanic and White).
  • Alzheimer's Disease Research Center- This involves a variety of clinical studies including genetic research in early-onset and late-onset Alzheimer's disease, brain imaging and clinical trials.
  • Genetic Epidemiology of Alzheimer's Disease in Hispanics. Principal Investigator- This is a family-based study of Alzheimer's disease among Hispanics from the Caribbean. A full-scale genome search is in progress along with continued data collection and ascertainment of families.
  • Genetic Epidemiology of Aging in a Multiethnic Community. Principal Investigator-This study has just begun and will entail a study of familial aggregation of longevity and active and total life expectancy, identification of oldest living healthy siblings and eventually, a genome scan.
  • Gender and Ethnic Differences in Mortality for Parkinson's Disease- This study involves the creation of a tri-state area registry for Parkinson's disease in order to investigate factors accounting for differences in mortality by gender and ethnic group. A related study is directed by Karen Marder, MD, MPH, who is collecting families with Parkinson's disease.