CONGAS: "Caribbean Omics 'N' Genomics for Alzheimer Study"

Genetic studies in the context of Alzheimer Disease (AD) are significantly biased by information coming from the same homogeneous population: Non-Hispanics Whites (NHW). The ADSP Follow-Up Study (FUS) long term goals include to fully reveal the genetic architecture of AD in multiple ethnic groups and examine the AD genome in the context of US-representative population. As of 2016, approximately 13 million people of the total U.S. population, have Caribbean ancestry. The Caribbean Omics & Genomics Alzheimer Study (CONGAS) will contribute to ADSP-FUS mission with 5,000 samples from elderly individuals (>65 yo) across the Caribbean countries and Spain. We will generate blood biomarkers, array data, whole genome sequence, and proteomics for the CONGAS dataset. Participants will be classified according to ATN criteria that will be used as endpoint phenotype in genome, and proteome association analyses, while taking into account admixture and ancestry components. Ultimately, we will identify causal genes and druggable targets and create better prediction models, by using genetics and multi-omic data as tools. Project Number: 1U01AG084514-01A1 | Fiscal Year: 2026 | NIH Institute/Center: National Institute on Aging (NIA) | Principal Investigator: Carlos Cruchaga (+1 co-PI) | Institution: WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, SAINT LOUIS, MO | Award Amount: $3,086,339 | Activity Code: U01 | Study Section: Special Emphasis Panel[ZAG1 ZIJ-J (O1)] View on NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11050178