SUMMARY
Nilufer Ertekin-Taner, M.D., Ph.D., is a neurogeneticist focused on the complex genetics of Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases. She also is a practicing board-certified neurologist with subspecialty training in behavioral neurology.
Dr. Ertekin-Taner's Genetics of Alzheimer's Disease and Endophenotypes Laboratory aims to discover and characterize the genetic factors that influence the risk of Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases, such as progressive supranuclear palsy. The lab uses combined genomic, transcriptomic and epigenetic approaches. Further, her laboratory uses biological traits such as cognition to study the effects of genetic factors.
Research projects in Dr. Ertekin-Taner's lab center on the genetics of gene expression in Alzheimer's disease and other conditions. Projects also focus on mapping and functional characterization of novel Alzheimer's disease risk genes and alleles. Identification of genetic risk factors for Alzheimer's disease in people who are African American and for atypical forms of Alzheimer's disease are additional ongoing projects.
Focus areas
- Comparative gene expression studies in Alzheimer's disease and other conditions. Dr. Ertekin-Taner's laboratory measures gene expression in brain samples of people with Alzheimer's disease or other neurodegenerative diseases to find new genes and pathways implicated in the pathophysiology of these conditions. Her laboratory also studies genetics of gene expression in blood samples from prospective cohorts to identify gene expression signatures that may predict cognitive decline and development of Alzheimer's disease.
- Gene expression studies in progressive supranuclear palsy. In collaboration with Mayo Clinic's brain bank, Dr. Ertekin-Taner's lab analyzes gene expression levels from brains of people with progressive supranuclear palsy. The goal is to identify genetic variants that influence disease risk and pathology via regulating transcription.
- Methylome analysis. Dr. Ertekin-Taner uses CpG methylation levels to study the influence of epigenetic factors on gene expression in Alzheimer's disease and progressive supranuclear palsy.
- Functional studies in Alzheimer's disease candidate genes. Dr. Ertekin-Taner's lab aims to understand the functional consequences of coding variants as well as modifications in expression levels of genes and specific isoforms implicated in Alzheimer's disease. The lab uses gene expression, immunohistochemistry and animal behavior approaches to understand the functional consequences of such genetic modifications in candidate genes, such as CTNNA3 and LRRTM3.
- Late-onset Alzheimer's disease risk variants in memory decline, incident mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease. Dr. Ertekin-Taner's laboratory uses cognitive and disease status data to determine the influence of Alzheimer's disease genetic risk variants on cognitive decline and incident disease.
Significance to patient care
Dr. Ertekin-Taner wants to understand how Alzheimer's and other brain diseases work and find ways to treat them. By studying the genes related to Alzheimer's disease, she hopes to learn more about the disease and discover new pathways that influence this common, complex disease.
Professional highlights
- KL2 Mentored Career Development Program, Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences, Mayo Clinic:
- Principal investigator and director, 2023-present.
- Scholar, 2008-2011.
- Principal investigator, Florida Consortium for African American Alzheimer's Disease Studies, funded by the Ed and Ethel Moore Alzheimer's Disease Research Program, Florida Department of Health, 2017-present.
- National Institute on Aging:
- Principal investigator, Molecular Mechanisms of the Vascular Etiology of Alzheimer's Disease Consortium, 2015-present.
- Principal investigator, Accelerating Medicines Partnership Alzheimer's Disease Consortium, 2013-present.
- Roy E. and Merle Meyer Professor of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, 2025.
- Investigator of the Year Award, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, 2018.
- Health Care Hero, Jacksonville Business Journal, 2008, 2018.