Minerva M. Carrasquillo

Minerva M. Carrasquillo, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neuroscience at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida. Her research is centered on the genetic underpinnings of Alzheimer’s disease and other complex neurodegenerative disorders. She leads and co-leads multiple federally funded research projects focused on identifying genetic risk variants and understanding their functional consequences.

Dr. Carrasquillo earned her Ph.D. in Human Genetics from Case Western Reserve University and completed her postdoctoral training at the Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Her research program integrates genome-wide association studies (GWAS), functional genomics, and multi-omics approaches to dissect the molecular mechanisms of Alzheimer’s disease, with a growing emphasis on diverse and multi-ethnic populations.

Her primary research interests include Alzheimer’s disease genetics, genome-wide association studies (GWAS), functional genomics, biomarker discovery, and the role of genetic variation in gene expression and protein levels. She investigates how variants in genes like TREM2, APOE, IDE, and others influence disease risk, cognitive decline, and neuropathological features such as amyloid-beta and tau pathology.

The 15 most recent articles highlight a strong trend toward integrative, multi-omics research in diverse cohorts. Her work increasingly focuses on the interplay between genetics, gene expression, proteomics, and neuroimaging, aiming to uncover druggable targets and early detection markers for Alzheimer’s disease. Recent publications emphasize peripheral and central biomarkers, functional connectivity, and health disparities in neurodegeneration.

Dr. Carrasquillo has secured competitive funding from the National Institute on Aging and the Alzheimer’s Association. Her current and recent grants include:

• PI: AD Risk Prediction, Cognitive Decline & Gene Regulation at the TREM2 locus (Alzheimer’s Association)
• PI: Peripheral and Central Biomarkers of Alzheimer's Disease in Diverse Cohorts (NIA, 2022–2023 and 2024–2025)
• CoPI: Centrally-linked longitudinal peripheral biomarkers of AD in multi-ethnic populations (NIA)
• CoPI: Mayo Advancing Research Equity in ADRD Study in Jacksonville (MAREAS-Jax, NIA)

She actively mentors research staff and collaborates with large international consortia. Her work is highly collaborative, involving teams from Mayo Clinic, other U.S. institutions, and global partners. She contributes to major Alzheimer’s disease research initiatives and leads efforts to include underrepresented populations in genetic studies, promoting equity in neuroscience research.