A working knowledge of AI and the general use of data were the factors that made the most difference

The prevalence of Alzheimer disease (AD) is approximately two times higher in African Americans (AA) compared to White/European-ancestry (EA) individuals living in the U.S. Some of this is due to social determinants of health such as disparities in health care access and quality of education, biases in testing and higher rates of AD risk factors such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes in those who identify as African American.

 

Although many studies have examined differences in gene expression (measure of the amount of protein encoded by a gene) in brain tissue from AD cases and controls in EA or mixed ancestry cohorts, the number of AA individuals in these studies was unspecified or too small to identify significant findings within this group alone.

 

In the largest AD study conducted in brain tissue from AA donors, researchers from Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine have identified many genes, a large portion of which had not previously been implicated in AD by other genetic studies, to be significantly more or less active in tissue from AD cases compared to controls. The most notable finding was a 1.5 fold higher level of expression of the ADAMTS2 gene in brain tissue from those with autopsy-confirmed AD.

Audra Parker, Professor and Elementary Education (ELED) Academic Program Coordinator, College of Education and Human Development (CEHD), received funding for: “Elementary Education Program Professional Development School (PDS).”

The Pacific Marine Science Alliance Society (PMSA) has announced a three-year agreement with the Marine Environmental Observation, Prediction and Response Network (MEOPAR) designed to strengthen national ocean research collaboration across Canada’s three coasts. 

UBC is one of five member universities of the PMSA, which owns and operates the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre, and works to advance marine and coastal research, education and sustainability.  

The new partnership, backed by $300,000 in funding from PMSA and MEOPAR, will help researchers better collaborate at regional, national and international levels to address crucial research challenges, including climate resilience, marine hazard prediction and sustainable ocean resource use. The collaboration will also prioritize Indigenous-led stewardship, student mobility and new international research partnerships. 

About The Study: This cross-sectional study aligns with the reported prevalence of developmental coordination disorder and reinforces concerns about under-recognition. None of the parents of children with substantial motor difficulties reported awareness, underscoring the value of structured, objective screening. Unlike earlier studies that focused on older children, this study offers a systematic, scalable approach for early identification in preschoolers that supports timely referral to clinicians for formal diagnosis.