Houston Alzheimer's Disease Research Collaborative (HADRC)
Advancing AD and ADRD discoveries with real-world evidence and collaborative science
The HADRC facilitates collaboration among more than 100 scientists and the broader research community to advance discoveries aimed at the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Alzheimer’s disease related dementias (ADRD). Special emphasis is placed on understanding the biological and social factors that contribute to differences in how AD and ADRD affect women and men. The Houston community plays a vital role in shaping this work by offering input, feedback, and ongoing support for HADRC research.
HADRC Investigators
Researchers leading collaborative advances in AD/ADRD science.
HADRC is building and following a longitudinal cohort designed for modern AD/ADRD research and clinical relevance. Participants complete standardized clinical and cognitive assessments, and a subset undergoes more intensive procedures to support biological staging and discovery.
What we collect:
-Clinical and cognitive profiles using nationally harmonized assessments
-Blood-based biomarkers (and CSF in a subset) to measure Alzheimer’s pathology and related biological signals
-MRI and PET imaging to stage disease and track progression over time
-Skin biopsy–based measures to assess selected co-pathologies in living participants
-Optional brain donation/autopsy to confirm diagnoses and validate biomarkers
This “multi-layer” approach allows clinicians and researchers to ask more precise questions, such as why two patients with similar symptoms may have different underlying biology, and why women and men may show different patterns of tau accumulation, vascular injury, or inflammatory signatures.
Research Highlight
Administrative Core
Provides centralized leadership, coordination, and oversight to ensure the Houston ADRC operates efficiently, ethically, and collaboratively across all cores and institutions.
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Serves as the clinical foundation of the Houston ADRC by recruiting, evaluating, and following diverse participants over time.
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Integrates data across all cores and provides advanced analytics, statistical support, and secure infrastructure to enable rigorous, reproducible, and shareable ADRC research.
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Provides post-mortem diagnosis and high-quality brain tissue resources to support clinicopathologic correlation, biomarker validation, and mechanistic discovery.
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Builds trusted, community-anchored pathways that expand equitable access to Alzheimer’s research and sustain long-term engagement across diverse populations.
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Collects, analyzes, and shares established and emerging biological markers to characterize disease mechanisms, co-pathologies, and sex-specific differences in Alzheimer’s and related dementias.
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Delivers advanced MRI and PET imaging to define, stage, and track Alzheimer’s disease while uncovering sex-specific brain signatures and disease progression patterns.
Learn moreEducation on AD/ADRD Research
Trains and mentors the next generation of Alzheimer’s and ADRD investigators through interdisciplinary education embedded across all ADRC cores.
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