Neurodegenerative Disease

Neurodegenerative diseases affect millions of people worldwide, and Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease are the most common types. The risk of being affected by a neurodegenerative disease increases dramatically with age and despite substantial research and development investments, effective therapeutics for the millions of patients with neurodegenerative diseases remain elusive. This creates a critical need to improve our understanding of what causes neurodegenerative diseases and develop new approaches for treatment and prevention.

USC is uniquely positioned as one of the top research institutions in the nation with comprehensive neurodegenerative disease research capabilities from bench to bedside and back. USC is comprised of leading scientists contributing to better understanding of the pathogenesis and treatment of neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and stroke, and leading experts in big data neuro-informatics, neuroimaging, structure-based drug discovery, systems pharmacology, predictive cellular and animal discovery models, clinical trials, regulatory science, and health policy. Collectively, these capabilities are crucial components to improve the scientific understanding of complex neurodegenerative diseases, develop the next generation of therapeutic approaches, and enhance the social care and structures for patients, their families and health care providers.

Translation of USC Research for Neurodegenerative Disease Partnering Overivew

Discovery Research Components

• Basic Neuroscience Research
• Systems Pharmacology
• Predictive Cellular and Animal Model Systems
• Structure-Based Drug Discovery
• Single Cell Research
• Biogerontology Research

Translational Research Components

• Implantable Devices to Treat Visual and Neurological Disorders
• Basic Science Research in Neuroimmunology, Stem Cells Population Studies and Clinical Trials
• Translational Neuro Restoration
• Virtual and Immersive Therapies

Clinical Research Components

• Clinical Trials
• Clinical Analysis
• Physical Therapy on Brain Plasticity and Repair
• Regulatory Science

Imaging

Informatics Components

• Big Data Neuro-Informatics
• Big Data Processing

Computer Science Components

• Multi-Scale Computational Modeling of Brain Function
• Biomedical Systems Modeling and Simulation Methodologies and Tools

Cognitive Research Components

• Neural Architecture Research
• Clinical Research in Aging and Psychology

Clinic and Community Practice Components

• Pharmaco-Economics and Health
• Research and Community Research