ALZHEIMERS RESEARCH PROJECT: Path-ND: Digital Pathology Research Sandbox for Neurodegenerative Disease

National Institute On Aging

Investigators

Abstract

The Path-ND consortium represents a transformative initiative in neurodegenerative disease research, focused on building a comprehensive digital pathology research sandbox. This collaborative effort aims to democratize access to analysis-ready data that integrates genetics, genomics, pathology, and harmonized metadata for neurodegenerative disease and CNS injury research. The project leverages cloud-based analysis environments to support unprecedented collaboration across the research community. The initiative centers on creating the "Digital Pathology Research Sandbox (DRS)" through a strategic partnership with the 10,000 Brains Initiative, utilizing Verily WorkBench's collaborative platform. This platform features authentication federation and synchronization capabilities, enabling researchers to access comprehensive genetic variants, curated slides via API connections, and standardized pathology reports within a unified computing environment. The project's standardization efforts are designed to add value to existing NIA-funded research while reducing barriers to entry for the broader dementia research community. At its core, the Path-ND consortium is building a digital pathology research sandbox, an effort to provide comprehensive access to analysis-ready data with genetics, genomics, pathology and harmonized metadata for neurodegenerative disease and CNS injury, that can be shared in the same cloud-based analysis environment to support collaboration. This will manifest in a Verily WorkBench collaborative space that is capable of authentication federation and synchronization that is the "Digital Pathology Research Sandbox (DRS)" supported through a collaborative partnership with the 10,000 Brains Initiative. The overarching goal of this project is to have a comprehensive set of common genetic variants available for each subject, curated slides via API connections to individual sites with pathology reports that are accessible and comprehensible to all researchers. The inclusion of relevant clinical data capable of interoperability through common data elements (CDEs) within a shared computing environment with a uniform access control list will streamline this process and accelerate community efforts in this space. The goal of this project is to standardize digital pathology data using existing tools deployed at CARD and pave a path for efficient spatial omics in brains being done at CARD in the near future. By standardizing data, AI models and analytics for the digital pathology community, we will add value to research already funded by NIA across the country and reduce activation energy for the entire community to carry out transparent and replicable research in this new area of dementia research.