Dr. Cruchaga’s research focuses on rare variants in Alzheimer’s disease. In his early research, he collaborated with Dr. Alison Goate, Professor of Genetics & Neurology, and others to study a gene variation that appeared to predict the rate at which Alzheimer’s disease will progress. Their research points to a way to determine how rapidly Alzheimer’s patients may develop full-blown dementia after their diagnosis. By studying high and low levels of tau or amyloid-beta in the cerebrospinal fluid of subjects at risk for Alzheimer’s disease, researchers found that a gene variation can increase the chances of developing Alzheimer’s disease when it occurs in tandem with another gene variant known to elevate risk.