Assistant Professor of Neurology; Executive Director, Charles F. and Joanne Knight Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
Krista Moulder thinks too much of the research that has been done about Alzheimer’s disease has been done with only White research participants. Work from her group at Washington University in St. Louis and others has demonstrated that certain markers of Alzheimer’s disease are different between people who identify as Black versus these White individuals, and that more data is needed from Black research participants to truly understand these differences.
Dr. Moulder’s paternal grandmother, Helen Moulder, died of Alzheimer’s disease. She says she will never forget how Helen thought it was her own daughter who was getting married instead of her granddaughter.
Outside of work, Dr. Moulder is an avid runner who has run marathons in 15 states.
“If it is true that levels of some Alzheimer’s markers are different in people who identify as Black, then clinical trials or prevention studies will need to incorporate racially distinct inclusion criteria and endpoints for their trials.
“Our Cure Alzheimer’s Fund grant has allowed us here at Washington University in St. Louis to ask harder, more specific questions about racial effects on Alzheimer’s markers because we are able to collaborate with investigators at Emory University and combine our precious tissue samples from Black research volunteers. It is very gratifying that the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund supports our goal of understanding the contributing factors for Alzheimer’s disease in people of all races.”