Neuroepidemiology

Neurodegenerative diseases are chronic disorders affecting the nervous system and impairing one or more of its functions. The incidence of dementia (including Alzheimer’s disease), Parkinson’s disease, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis increases with advancing age, and their prevalence is projected to rise substantially in the next decades worldwide due to the aging populations, emerging into a major public health priority.

Apart from some familial forms representing a small proportion of all cases, the majority of neurodegenerative disease cases are sporadic, and their main risk factors remain unknown.

This research focuses on the identification of environmental and genetic risk factors for neurodegenerative disease, and their interactions in promoting the onset of disease. Specific strategies, such as tools for ascertaining, validating, and monitoring neurodegenerative diseases, and for exploiting the great amount of data already collected within large cohort studies are being developed. This also integrates with molecular epidemiology projects to develop and use biomarkers in epidemiological research.

For further information e-mail v.gallo@imperial.ac.uk