Peripheral Biomarker Based Combinatorial Early Diagnostics for Dementia (CombiDiag)
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Plymouth
Department Name: Sch of Eng, Comp and Math (SECaM)
Abstract
CombiDiag DN aims to develop an AI-data-driven peripheral biomarker based combinatorial diagnostic protocol for early stages of Alzheimers disease (AD), a major form of dementia, and to train a new generation of fellows for this interdisciplinary field. Dementia, a devastating disease of older age, is the challenge of our lifetime and one of the Societal Challenges listed by the UN Sustainable Development Goals and Horizon Europe. CombiDiag responds to this challenge to establish a much-needed DN to carry out an integrated study of minimally invasive and cost-effective peripheral biomarkers, including body fluid markers from blood, urine and saliva, and digital markers from speech, motor functions and sleep for developing the combinatorial early AD diagnostics. The consortium comprises nine academic and eight non-academic institutions across Europe, USA, Canada, and China. It synergises leading academic and industrial experts worldwide to build a triple-i research and training platform for the training of a new generation of Fellows to take early AD diagnostic research to a new level. Fellows will be trained under the Vitae Researcher Development Framework innovatively combined with the CombiDiag platform for triple-i scientific and transferable skills as well as personal quality, creative thinking, and business mind-set. The DN has a highly innovative research programme for the discovery of peripheral AD biomarkers, detection techniques, AI/data driven technology, clinical validation, and integration into trial designs. The advances in CombiDiag research will enable a case finding tool at primary care level for helping achieve improved drug discoveries, disease-modifying treatments, preventive strategies and care provision for AD. CombiDiag will deliver 10 highly-skilled, creative and entrepreneurial Fellows, setting them on a path to successful careers in academia or industry to ensure that the medical and societal challenges imposed by AD are met.
People |
ORCID iD |
| Genhua Pan (Principal Investigator) |
| Description | Impact of social, economic, and demographic factors in disparity in clinical coding of long COVID in national electronic health records |
| Amount | £92,970 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | 2934825 |
| Organisation | Economic and Social Research Council |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2025 |
| End | 07/2028 |
| Description | AD biomarker from blood and urine |
| Organisation | Firalis |
| Country | France |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | The samples (with AD patients and healthy volunteers) will be obtained for the detection and validation of peripheral biomarkers. Cross-validation of all peripheral markers provided by the Firalis will be carried out by using a graphene-based biosensor developed by the University of Plymouth. |
| Collaborator Contribution | We are discussing potential of collaboration and joint publication |
| Impact | Still working on different ideas that can contribute to future collaboration or partnership |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | Fabrication of graphene electrode for CombiDiag project |
| Organisation | Fraunhofer Society |
| Department | The Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering (IBMT) |
| Country | Germany |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | IBMT works towards fabricating and characterising the graphene electrode and working towards identifying the dementia biomarkers etc. |
| Collaborator Contribution | IBMT developing graphene biosnesors for Dementia diagnosis. Large scale graphene electrode fabrication. |
| Impact | Still working on different ideas that can contribute to future collaboration or partnership |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | saliva biomarker discovery |
| Organisation | Institute of Health Carlos III |
| Country | Spain |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | PhD student was working on Alzheimer's disease saliva biomarker discovery. This collaboration or partnership is closely linked with the research goals of the EPSRC project. The student at Plymouth will closely work with that group and benefit from expertise in our group. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The student and his director of studies works has expertise in salivary biomarkers discovery which complements expertise in our team. |
| Impact | Still working on it |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | 21st International Nanotech Symposium & Nano-Convergence Expo in Korea |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | 21st International Nanotech Symposium & Nano-Convergence Expo in Korea held during July 5-7, 2023 at Seoul, Korea, delivered Poster presentation |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | CombiDiag Autumn School |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | I attended CombiDiag Autumn School for Peripheral Biomarker-Based Combinatorial Early Diagnostics for Dementia, a European Commission-funded consortium where I presented PhD research proposals. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Summer school in France |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | 1. DC's presentations of their PhD proposals and discussions with the audience for constructive feedback 2. Training on IPR management, patent filing and data protection through a one-day seminar held by IEEPI 3.Visit of Firalis's laboratories (Firalis-1 & Firalis-2) and demo on APO-E genotyping 4. Knowledge transfer on entrepreneurship, research innovation, interdisciplinary research methodologies in AD blood biomarker research and AI data technology through external speaker |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | The Faculty of Science & Engineering Postgraduate Research Showcase- presented a poster |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | The Faculty of Science & Engineering Postgraduate Research Showcase to share your research, develop your skills, and build your network. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |