معرفی
Erin L Abner, PhD, is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine. She is affiliated with the Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, a leading institution for Alzheimer’s Disease Research. Her work focuses on the epidemiology of neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Alzheimer’s Disease, and integrates social determinants of health, biomarker development, and comorbidity analysis. Dr. Abner leads initiatives to advance clinical trial methodologies, including the integration of social exposome metrics into research frameworks. Her research bridges basic science and public health, addressing disparities in aging populations and exploring interactions between cancer and neurodegenerative pathologies.
Key areas of research include: (1) Social determinants impacting Alzheimer’s progression and clinical trial design, (2) Molecular mechanisms of proteinopathies like TDP-43 and amyloid-beta, (3) Biomarker validation for early diagnosis and monitoring of cognitive decline, and (4) Population-level studies on comorbidities such as heart failure and cancer. She has spearheaded the development of pathway-specific polygenic risk scores and contributed to the understanding of sex/gender differences in neurodegenerative outcomes.
Dr. Abner’s leadership extends to interdisciplinary collaborations, including the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center and the University of Kentucky Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. Her team’s work emphasizes translational research, aiming to improve clinical care through evidence-based interventions and policy recommendations. Recent projects include exploring financial toxicity in dementia patients and optimizing medication management strategies for older adults.
