Recently, a new page called “How Researchers Can Tap into Data and Samples from Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centers” went live on the National Institute of Aging website. The page highlights how three different resources coordinate approaches in cataloging and sharing data from NIA-funded Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centers (ADRCs).
The resources are the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center (NACC), the National Centralized Repository for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias, and the National Institute on Aging Genetics of Alzheimer’s Disease Data Storage Site (NIAGADS), which is run here at University of Pennsylvania in Dr. Li-San Wang’s lab. NACC hosts standardized clinical and neuropathological ADRC data, and NCRAD stores biological specimens from ADRCs or other NIA-funded studies participants. NIAGADS archives and distributes ADRD genetic and genomic data. NIAGADS also serves as the data coordinating center for the Alzheimer’s Disease Sequencing Project (ADSP) and other NIA-funded studies.
NIAGADS works closely with NACC and NCRAD to facilitate data sharing with the research community. Since multiple types of data are often available for the same participants, these three resources enable researchers to tie the data together through anonymous participant IDs. The coordinated effort serves to advance research in an efficient way in order to better understand ADRD and potential treatment and prevention strategies.
The NIA webpage on NIAGADS, NACC, and NCRAD can be found here: https://www.nia.nih.gov/research/dn/how-researchers-can-tap-data-and-samples-alzheimers-disease-research-centers. Thanks to NIA for creating this informative page!