Grants

NIA - National Institute on Aging

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder with a complex etiology affecting over six million individuals in the United States alone, with numbers projected to rise significantly as the population ages. Concomitant changes in gut microbiome and metabolome composition have been observed over the course of Alzheimer’s-related cognitive decline, suggesting host microbiota may mediate the pathophysiological processes of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Gut microbes contribute to host metabolism through the production and modification of metabolites, such as bile acids, which collectively influence overall metabolic health. Lifestyle interventions, such as diet modification, are promising strategies for lowering dementia risk, and these modifications are also influential in regulating the gut microbiome. However, the long-term effects of specific dietary interventions on microbially-mediated bile acid profiles and their impact on cognitive decline remain poorly understood, motivating further investigation. This proposal seeks to apply advanced computational and algorithmic approaches to identify compositional and functional changes in the gut microbiome and metabolome over the course of longitudinal dietary interventions. Aim 1 of this proposal will unify three independent cohorts assessing the impact of adherence to the Mediterranean diet, a diet high in plants and healthy fats, on cognitive decline. By conducting phylogenetically-aware metagenomic analyses and network-based untargeted metabolomic analyses, this proposal aims to identify changes in microbial communities and bile acid profiles during Mediterranean dietary interventions, and correlate these changes with host phenotypes indicative of Alzheimer’s risk. Complementarily, Aim 2 of this proposal will assess the prognostic potential of gut microbiome and metabolome features by constructing and evaluating machine learning models to predict cognitive outcomes over the course of intervention. These efforts will deepen our understanding of the relationship between diet, the gut microbiome, bile acid proliferation, and cognitive health by employing standardized and reproducible methodological analyses across large cohorts. Ultimately, this research is poised to reveal mechanistic targets for future study, facilitating the development of novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for Alzheimer's disease in at-risk populations.

NIA - National Institute on Aging

SUMMARY The functions of long-noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) as crucial regulators of transcription, epigenetic modifications, mRNA stability, localization, and translation indicate their potential involvement in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis. Given the impairment of these fundamental cellular processes in AD, lncRNAs emerge as plausible targets. Consistent with this possibility, several studies have demonstrated altered expression of specific lncRNAs in various AD models. However, the precise roles, mechanisms, and cell-specific contributions of these lncRNAs in AD development remain unclear. This exploratory/developmental R21 proposal aims to systematically investigate the regulation of expression and function of lncRNA SLAMR in the pathogenesis of AD. SLAMR lncRNA was discovered from an unbiased screen of learning regulated lncRNAs. We find that SLAMR lncRNA in mouse CA1 is critical for synapse density, morphology, plasticity and memory. Importantly, we find that SLAMR functions as a key modulator of translation and structural plasticity. Gain of function of SLAMR resulted in enhanced translation and functional synapses. Our preliminary data show that SLAMR expression is impaired in APP knock-in (App NL-G-F) mouse model of AD. We will now assess the role of SLAMR mediated translation in App NL-G-F model and Tau model (PS19) of AD. Our systematic functional experiments are anticipated to unveil the role of SLAMR in the progression of AD pathogenesis. Successful completion of this proposal will shed light on the significance of lncRNAs in AD pathogenesis and influence the development of lncRNA-based therapeutics for AD.

Pratt Properties

Assessment & Cleanup at 1153 W. 2nd Avenue, Eugene

Spring Valley Concerned Citizens Coalition

Assessment of Multiple diesel sources and their effects on Spring Valley residents - Air quality monitoring of bus and train depots with community education.

Spring Valley Concerned Citizens Coalition

Assessment of Multiple diesel sources and their effects on Spring Valley residents - Air quality monitoring of bus and train depots with community education.

Environmental Conservation

Asset Management Plan

Staffordshire Water System Inc.

Asset Management Plan

Tooley Water District

Asset Planning and Leak Detection Study

Composite Approach, LLC

Assist Composite Approach in purchasing equipment, hiring and training 40 employees, collaborating on industry standards, creating and sharing training videos, and collaborating with workforce agencies to recruit, hire, and train underserved people.

Element Six Technologies

Assist Element Six in the construction of a 60,000 square-foot facility on Lot 7 of the Gresham Vista Business Park. The project is expected to be complete by January 2020.

NW Bend Boats, LLC

Assist NW Bend Boats (DBA North River Boats) in the construction of a dedicated training facility for hull fabricator.

Oregon Shakespeare Festival Association

Assist Oregon Shakespeare with equipment to mitigate future wildfire smoke impacts.

The Higher Taste LTD

Assist The Higher Taste with construction and equipment costs related to food production expansion

Wayfair LLC

Assist Wayfair to build out customer care facility in Springfield, and stand up workforce training, requireing multiple community benefits.

Froerer Farms, Inc.

Assist with the purchase of sweet potato packing equipment and employee training (in coordination with the Training Employment Consortium) needed to operate the new equipment.

REACH Community Development, Inc.

Assistance to excavate/remove contaminated soils

Track Town Events, LLC

Assistance to offset a portion of the costs to provide public safety at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track & Field.

Pentagon Federal Credit Union

Assistance to provide the Eugene facility a competitive edge as the company evaluates the efficiencies and cost-effectiveness of its customer service facilities around the United States in order to determine whether to consolidate operations. Historically, it was vital to have a West Coast presence to address time zone changes; however, online or electronic documents now allow the company to explore other alternatives.

Provail

Create assistive technology user groups to help children and adults with disabilities learn to use assistive technology that meets their needs and goals, share solutions to problems, and increase access to social networks.

NYC Department of Cultural Affairs

Association for the Development of Vocal Artistry and Neighborhood Cultural Enrichment

Regional Council Capital Fund - RC4

Association for Vision Rehabilitation and Employment Capital

NYC Department of Cultural Affairs

Association of Dominican Classical Artists, Inc.

Café Chingon LLC

Astoria Coffee Company Expansion

Reach Break, LLC

Astoria Expansion