Hosted by the Department of Biostatistics
In this Biostatistics Special Seminar, Elizabeth Pirraglia will discuss the frequent co-occurrence of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) alongside other types of dementia, as well as evidence that cases of mixed dementia have different disease trajectories. She will then illustrate how several statistical methods can be used to identify differing pathways in the development of AD and related dementias, addressing the high degree of heterogeneity in the progression and development of dementia in order to develop personalized treatments and prevention strategies.
Abstract: Although Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia, autopsy studies have shown that AD often occurs with other types of dementia, such as Lewy body disease and vascular dementia. In clinical settings, however, cases of mixed dementia are most often diagnosed solely as AD, but there is evidence that cases of mixed dementia have different disease trajectories. Furthermore, dementia risk factors, such as the ε4 allele of the APOE gene, also have been shown to differentially impact the pathological course of the disease. In order to develop personalized treatments and prevention strategies, it is essential to address this high degree of heterogeneity in the progression and development of dementia. In this presentation, Elizabeth Pirraglia will illustrate how several established statistical methods can be used to identify differing pathways in the development of AD and related dementias.
Speaker Bio: Elizabeth Pirraglia has an M.A. in Applied Math and Statistics from Hunter College, and she is currently preparing to defend her PhD dissertation in Biostatistics at NYU Vilcek Institute of Graduate Biomedical Sciences. Before starting the PhD program, she was a Research Assistant at the Center for Brain Health which was part of the NYU Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center.