Lindsay Farrer, PhD Hear my name
Boston University Distinguished Professor of Genetics
Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
Medicine
Biomedical Genetics

PhD, Indiana University School of Medicine
BA, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill



Dr. Lindsay Farrer is a medical geneticist at Boston University Schools of Medicine and Public Health where he is the Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine Distinguished Professor of Genetics, Chief of Biomedical Genetics, and a Professor of Medicine, Neurology, Ophthalmology, Epidemiology, and Biostatistics. Dr. Farrer is a graduate of the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, received his Ph.D. from the Indiana University School of Medicine, and gained additional training in genetic epidemiology at Yale University. He holds adjunct faculty positions at Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, and the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Bedford, Massachusetts. He is a Founding Fellow of the American College of Medical Genetics. Dr. Farrer teaches several courses in human genetics and addiction science at Boston University, directs the BU Transformative Training Program in Addiction Science (TTPAS) that features transdisciplinary training for students enrolled in PhD programs across the Medical and Charles River campuses, directs Boston University’s Molecular Genetics Core Facility which offers DNA genotyping and sequencing services to investigators at Boston University and elsewhere, and provides genetic counseling and testing to patients with a variety of inherited conditions.

Dr. Farrer’s research has lead to more than 450 publications on genetic risk factors for several familial neurodegenerative and other chronic diseases. In collaboration with other laboratories worldwide, his group has localized genes causing a variety of rare and common disorders, most notably Alzheimer disease (AD), substance use disorders (SUDs), age-related macular degeneration (AMD), Wilson disease, Machado-Joseph disease, Waardenburg syndrome, hypertension, sensorineural deafness, and osteoarthritis. His group identified a functional genetic variant in the complement factor H gene which accounts for more than 30% of the attributable risk for AMD, the leading cause of progressive vision loss and blindness in the elderly. In collaboration with other researchers, Dr. Farrer is conducting genome wide association studies (GWAS) and whole genome/exome sequencing studies for several disorders including AD, SUDs (cocaine, opiates, nicotine, alcohol and cannabis), and AMD. Dr. Farrer’s team is also developing methods for locating genes that influence the natural history of complex diseases and pharmacogenetic response.

Under Dr. Farrer’s leadership, the MIRAGE Project, a multi-center study of AD funded since 1991 by the National Institute on Aging, has made several important contributions to our understanding of the interactions between genetic and environmental factors for the disorder. This study has a particular emphasis on the genetics of AD in African Americans. MIRAGE was the first study to demonstrate that genetic factors have a major role in the development of AD and that APOE e4 is more weakly associated with disease in men and persons older than 75 years. Dr. Farrer co-directed the international effort which demonstrated that SORL1 is genetically and functionally associated with AD, thus implicating intracellular protein trafficking as integral pathway in AD. His laboratory conducted genome wide association studies (GWAS) for AD in several populations including African Americans and an inbred Israeli-Arab community, and identified rare AD causal mutations in the AKAP9 gene which are specific to African Americans. Dr. Farrer serves on the Executive Committee of the national Alzheimer Disease Genetics Consortium and co-directs the data analysis effort for this large NIH-funded project. He is also a Principal Investigator of the national Alzheimer Disease Sequencing Project and a study to identify AD risk and protective variants in Koreans. in 2020, Dr. Farrer co-founded the Framingham Heart Study Brain Aging Program (FHS-BAP), an NIH-funded infrastructure program that continues surveillance of FHS participants for cognitive decline and dementia, conducts neuropsychological and brain MRI exams, houses the FHS brain tissue repository, and conducts several projects utilizing genetics, various omics, and wealth of phenotype data on FHS participants to develop predictive models, identify biomarkers and discern vascular and inflammatory processes leading to AD.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility

My doctoral training in medical genetics introduced me to disorders whose risk and impact on families vary widely according to cultural, social and economic circumstances. This experience also convinced me that the impact of physical and mental disability is greatly influenced by access to treatment and support programs, as well as the family and community environment.

I have designed and led studies, and published many papers about the genetic basis of Alzheimer disease (AD), age-related macular degeneration, hypertension and sickle cell disease in marginalized populations. Many of these papers highlight the population genetic differences related to disease and the scientific and translational medicine benefits of trans-ethnic studies. My lab discovered two rare African-American specific variants in a novel gene that are associated with greatly elevated risk of AD in African Americans. Currently, I am the Principal Investigator (PI) of grants focused on AD genetics in African Americans and Koreans, respectively.

As PI of the Framingham Heart Study Brain Aging Program (FHS-BAP), my research team launched several initiatives to attract and train a diverse group of individuals, particularly those who are not well-represented in biomedical research, at the undergraduate, graduate, post-doctoral and junior faculty levels. International symposia organized by the FHS-BAP emphasize DEIA issues including enrolling marginalized populations in research, the incorporation of social determinants of health in genetic and epidemiological studies, and female and non-White speakers.

As a mentor and Chief of a research section in which White male faculty are the minority, I have sought and promoted the advancement of female and non-White trainees, many of whom have advanced to successful careers in academia and private industry. Since 2007, I have served on Steering Committee of PhenX, a project funded by the National Human Genome Research Institute that is building a set of consensus standards for measures of phenotypes and exposures with particular emphasis on protocols that consider diversity and accessibility.

Section Chief
Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
Medicine
Biomedical Genetics

Professor
Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
Medicine
Biomedical Genetics

Professor
Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
Ophthalmology


Professor
Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
Neurology


Professor
Boston University School of Public Health
Biostatistics


Professor
Boston University School of Public Health
Epidemiology


Investigator
Framingham Heart Study


Member
Boston University
Evans Center for Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research


Member
Boston University
Genome Science Institute


Member
Boston University
Bioinformatics Graduate Program


Graduate Faculty (Primary Mentor of Grad Students)
Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Graduate Medical Sciences




Genetic Studies of Alzheimer's Disease in Jewish and Arab Populations
09/01/2023 - 08/31/2028 (Multi-PI)
PI: Lindsay Farrer, PhD
NIH/National Institute on Aging
1U01AG081230-01

Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center
08/15/2021 - 06/30/2026 (Key Person)
PI: Ann C. McKee, MD
NIH/National Institute on Aging
5P30AG072978-03

Precision Monitoring and Assessment in the Framingham Study: Cognitive, MRI, Genetic and Biomarker Precursors of AD & Dementia
09/15/2020 - 05/31/2025 (Multi-PI)
PI: Lindsay Farrer, PhD
NIH/National Institute on Aging
5U19AG068753-04

Alzheimer Disease Genetic Architecture in African Americans
05/15/2020 - 04/30/2025 (PI)
NIH/National Institute on Aging
5R01AG048927-09

Genetic Studies of Alzheimer Disease in Koreans
09/15/2019 - 08/31/2024 (PI)
NIH/National Institute on Aging
5U01AG062602-05

Metabolic age to define influences of the lipidome on brain aging in Alzheimer's disease
05/15/2023 - 03/31/2024 (Subcontract PI)
Duke University NIH NIA
1R01AG081322-01

Genome Center for Alzheimer's Disease
04/15/2021 - 03/31/2024 (Subcontract PI)
The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania NIH NIA
5U54AG052427-07

Genome Center for Alzheimer's Disease (GCAD) - Core B
04/15/2021 - 03/31/2024 (Subcontract PI)
The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania NIH NIA
5U54AG052427-07

Alzheimer Disease Genetics Consortium
04/15/2020 - 03/31/2024 (Subcontract PI)
The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania NIH NIA
5U01AG032984-14

Institutional Program Unifying Population and Laboratory Based Sciences Award
02/01/2013 - 01/31/2024 (PI)
Burroughs Wellcome Fund


Showing 10 of 43 results. Show All Results


Title


Yr Title Project-Sub Proj Pubs
2023 Genetic Studies of Alzheimer's Disease in Jewish and Arab Populations 1U01AG081230-01
2023 Core G: Genetics and Molecular Profiling 5P30AG072978-03-9747
2023 Genomic, physiological, and environmental predictors of AD risk, resilience and resistance 5U19AG068753-04-8059
2023 Precision Monitoring and Assessment in the Framingham Study: Cognitive, MRI, Genetic and Biomarker Precursors of AD & Dementia 5U19AG068753-04
2023 Admin Core 5U19AG068753-04-8052
2023 Genetic Studies of Alzheimer Disease in Koreans 5U01AG062602-05
2023 Alzheimer Disease Genetic Architecture in African Americans 5R01AG048927-09
2022 Core G: Genetics and Molecular Profiling 5P30AG072978-02-9747
2022 Genomic, physiological, and environmental predictors of AD risk, resilience and resistance 5U19AG068753-03-8039
2022 Precision Monitoring and Assessment in the Framingham Study: Cognitive, MRI, Genetic and Biomarker Precursors of AD & Dementia 5U19AG068753-03
Showing 10 of 80 results. Show All Results

Publications listed below are automatically derived from MEDLINE/PubMed and other sources, which might result in incorrect or missing publications. Faculty can login to make corrections and additions.

iCite Analysis       Copy PMIDs To Clipboard

  1. O'Neill NK, Stein TD, Hu J, Rehman H, Campbell JD, Yajima M, Zhang X, Farrer LA. Bulk brain tissue cell-type deconvolution with bias correction for single-nuclei RNA sequencing data using DeTREM. BMC Bioinformatics. 2023 Sep 19; 24(1):349.View Related Profiles. PMID: 37726653; PMCID: PMC10507917; DOI: 10.1186/s12859-023-05476-w;
     
  2. Wang H, Dombroski BA, Cheng PL, Tucci A, Si YQ, Farrell JJ, Tzeng JY, Leung YY, Malamon JS, Wang LS, Vardarajan BN, Farrer LA, Schellenberg GD, Lee WP. Structural Variation Detection and Association Analysis of Whole-Genome-Sequence Data from 16,905 Alzheimer's Diseases Sequencing Project Subjects. medRxiv. 2023 Sep 13. PMID: 37745545; PMCID: PMC10516060; DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.13.23295505;
     
  3. Lee WP, Choi SH, Shea MG, Cheng PL, Dombroski BA, Pitsillides AN, Heard-Costa NL, Wang H, Bulekova K, Kuzma AB, Leung YY, Farrell JJ, Lin H, Naj A, Blue EE, Nusetor F, Wang D, Boerwinkle E, Bush WS, Zhang X, De Jager PL, Dupuis J, Farrer LA, Fornage M, Martin E, Pericak-Vance M, Seshadri S, Wijsman EM, Wang LS, Schellenberg GD, Destefano AL, Haines JL, Peloso GM. Association of Common and Rare Variants with Alzheimer's Disease in over 13,000 Diverse Individuals with Whole-Genome Sequencing from the Alzheimer's Disease Sequencing Project. medRxiv. 2023 Sep 02.View Related Profiles. PMID: 37693521; PMCID: PMC10491367; DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.01.23294953;
     
  4. Nievergelt CM, Maihofer AX, Atkinson EG, Chen CY, Choi KW, Coleman JR, Daskalakis NP, Duncan LE, Polimanti R, Aaronson C, Amstadter AB, Andersen SB, Andreassen OA, Arbisi PA, Ashley-Koch AE, Austin SB, Avdibegoviç E, Babic D, Bacanu SA, Baker DG, Batzler A, Beckham JC, Belangero S, Benjet C, Bergner C, Bierer LM, Biernacka JM, Bierut LJ, Bisson JI, Boks MP, Bolger EA, Brandolino A, Breen G, Bressan RA, Bryant RA, Bustamante AC, Bybjerg-Grauholm J, Bækvad-Hansen M, Børglum AD, Børte S, Cahn L, Calabrese JR, Caldas-de-Almeida JM, Chatzinakos C, Cheema S, Clouston SAP, Colodro-Conde L, Coombes BJ, Cruz-Fuentes CS, Dale AM, Dalvie S, Davis LK, Deckert J, Delahanty DL, Dennis MF, deRoon-Cassini T, Desarnaud F, DiPietro CP, Disner SG, Docherty AR, Domschke K, Dyb G, Kulenovic AD, Edenberg HJ, Evans A, Fabbri C, Fani N, Farrer LA, Feder A, Feeny NC, Flory JD, Forbes D, Franz CE, Galea S, Garrett ME, Gelaye B, Gelernter J, Geuze E, Gillespie CF, Goci A, Goleva SB, Gordon SD, Grasser LR, Guindalini C, Haas M, Hagenaars S, Hauser MA, Heath AC, Hemmings SM, Hesselbrock V, Hickie IB, Hogan K, Hougaard DM, Huang H, Huckins LM, Hveem K, Jakovljevic M, Javanbakht A, Jenkins GD, Johnson J, Jones I, Jovanovic T, Karstoft KI, Kaufman ML, Kennedy JL, Kessler RC, Khan A, Kimbrel NA, King AP, Koen N, Kotov R, Kranzler HR, Krebs K, Kremen WS, Kuan PF, Lawford BR, Lebois LAM, Lehto K, Levey DF, Lewis C, Liberzon I, Linnstaedt SD, Logue MW, Lori A, Lu Y, Luft BJ, Lupton MK, Luykx JJ, Makotkine I, Maples-Keller JL, Marchese S, Marmar C, Martin NG, MartÍnez-Levy GA, McAloney K, McFarlane A, McLaughlin KA, McLean SA, Medland SE, Mehta D, Meyers J, Michopoulos V, Mikita EA, Milani L, Milberg W, Miller MW, Morey RA, Morris CP, Mors O, Mortensen PB, Mufford MS, Nelson EC, Nordentoft M, Norman SB, Nugent NR, O'Donnell M, Orcutt HK, Pan PM, Panizzon MS, Pathak GA, Peters ES, Peterson AL, Peverill M, Pietrzak RH, Polusny MA, Porjesz B, Powers A, Qin XJ, Ratanatharathorn A, Risbrough VB, Roberts AL, Rothbaum BO, Rothbaum AO, Roy-Byrne P, Ruggiero KJ, Rung A, Runz H, Rutten BPF, de Viteri SS, Salum GA, Sampson L, Sanchez SE, Santoro M, Seah C, Seedat S, Seng JS, Shabalin A, Sheerin CM, Silove D, Smith AK, Smoller JW, Sponheim SR, Stein DJ, Stensland S, Stevens JS, Sumner JA, Teicher MH, Thompson WK, Tiwari AK, Trapido E, Uddin M, Ursano RJ, Valdimarsdóttir U, van den Heuvel LL, Van Hooff M, van Rooij SJ, Vermetten E, Vinkers CH, Voisey J, Wang Z, Wang Y, Waszczuk M, Weber H, Wendt FR, Werge T, Williams MA, Williamson DE, Winsvold BS, Winternitz S, Wolf EJ, Wolf C, Xia Y, Xiong Y, Yehuda R, Young RM, Young KA, Zai CC, Zai GC, Zervas M, Zhao H, Zoellner LA, Zwart JA, Stein MB, Ressler KJ, Koenen KC. Discovery of 95 PTSD loci provides insight into genetic architecture and neurobiology of trauma and stress-related disorders. medRxiv. 2023 Sep 02.View Related Profiles. PMID: 37693460; PMCID: PMC10491375; DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.31.23294915;
     
  5. Park JY, Lee JJ, Lee Y, Lee D, Gim J, Farrer L, Lee KH, Won S. Machine learning-based quantification for disease uncertainty increases the statistical power of genetic association studies. Bioinformatics. 2023 Sep 02; 39(9). PMID: 37665736; PMCID: PMC10539075; DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btad534;
     
  6. Walters S, Contreras AG, Eissman JM, Mukherjee S, Lee ML, Choi SE, Scollard P, Trittschuh EH, Mez JB, Bush WS, Kunkle BW, Naj AC, Peterson A, Gifford KA, Cuccaro ML, Cruchaga C, Pericak-Vance MA, Farrer LA, Wang LS, Haines JL, Jefferson AL, Kukull WA, Keene CD, Saykin AJ, Thompson PM, Martin ER, Bennett DA, Barnes LL, Schneider JA, Crane PK, Hohman TJ, Dumitrescu L. Associations of Sex, Race, and Apolipoprotein E Alleles With Multiple Domains of Cognition Among Older Adults. JAMA Neurol. 2023 Sep 01; 80(9):929-939.View Related Profiles. PMID: 37459083; PMCID: PMC10352930; DOI: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2023.2169;
     
  7. Ray NR, Kunkle BW, Hamilton-Nelson K, Kurup JT, Rajabli F, Cosacak MI, Kizil C, Jean-Francois M, Cuccaro M, Reyes-Dumeyer D, Cantwell L, Kuzma A, Vance JM, Gao S, Hendrie HC, Baiyewu O, Ogunniyi A, Akinyemi RO, Lee WP, Martin ER, Wang LS, Beecham GW, Bush WS, Farrer LA, Haines JL, Byrd GS, Schellenberg GD, Mayeux R, Pericak-Vance MA, Reitz C. Extended genome-wide association study employing the African Genome Resources Panel identifies novel susceptibility loci for Alzheimer's Disease in individuals of African ancestry. medRxiv. 2023 Aug 29. PMID: 37693582; PMCID: PMC10491365; DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.29.23294774;
     
  8. Tejeda M, Farrell J, Zhu C, Wetzler L, Lunetta KL, Bush WS, Martin ER, Wang LS, Schellenberg GD, Pericak-Vance MA, Haines JL, Farrer LA, Sherva R. DNA from multiple viral species is associated with Alzheimer's disease risk. Alzheimers Dement. 2023 Aug 14.View Related Profiles. PMID: 37578203
     
  9. Logue MW, Dasgupta S, Farrer LA. Genetics of Alzheimer's Disease in the African American Population. J Clin Med. 2023 Aug 09; 12(16).View Related Profiles. PMID: 37629231; PMCID: PMC10455208; DOI: 10.3390/jcm12165189;
     
  10. Rajabli F, Benchek P, Tosto G, Kushch N, Sha J, Bazemore K, Zhu C, Lee WP, Haut J, Hamilton-Nelson KL, Wheeler NR, Zhao Y, Farrell JJ, Grunin MA, Leung YY, Kuksa PP, Li D, Lucio da Fonseca E, Mez JB, Palmer EL, Pillai J, Sherva RM, Song YE, Zhang X, Iqbal T, Pathak O, Valladares O, Kuzma AB, Abner E, Adams PM, Aguirre A, Albert MS, Albin RL, Allen M, Alvarez L, Apostolova LG, Arnold SE, Asthana S, Atwood CS, Ayres G, Baldwin CT, Barber RC, Barnes LL, Barral S, Beach TG, Becker JT, Beecham GW, Beekly D, Benitez BA, Bennett D, Bertelson J, Bird TD, Blacker D, Boeve BF, Bowen JD, Boxer A, Brewer J, Burke JR, Burns JM, Buxbaum JD, Cairns NJ, Cantwell LB, Cao C, Carlson CS, Carlsson CM, Carney RM, Carrasquillo MM, Chasse S, Chesselet MF, Chin NA, Chui HC, Chung J, Craft S, Crane PK, Cribbs DH, Crocco EA, Cruchaga C, Cuccaro ML, Cullum M, Darby E, Davis B, De Jager PL, DeCarli C, DeToledo J, Dick M, Dickson DW, Dombroski BA, Doody RS, Duara R, Ertekin-Taner N, Evans DA, Faber KM, Fairchild TJ, Fallon KB, Fardo DW, Farlow MR, Fernandez-Hernandez V, Ferris S, Foroud TM, Frosch MP, Fulton-Howard B, Galasko DR, Gamboa A, Gearing M, Geschwind DH, Ghetti B, Gilbert JR, Goate AM, Grabowski TJ, Graff-Radford NR, Green RC, Growdon JH, Hakonarson H, Hall J, Hamilton RL, Harari O, Hardy J, Harrell LE, Head E, Henderson VW, Hernandez M, Hohman T, Honig LS, Huebinger RM, Huentelman MJ, Hulette CM, Hyman BT, Hynan LS, Ibanez L, Jarvik GP, Jayadev S, Jin LW, Johnson K, Johnson L, Kamboh MI, Karydas AM, Katz MJ, Kauwe JS, Kaye JA, Keene CD, Khaleeq A, Kim R, Knebl J, Kowall NW, Kramer JH, Kukull WA, LaFerla FM, Lah JJ, Larson EB, Lerner A, Leverenz JB, Levey AI, Lieberman AP, Lipton RB, Logue M, Lopez OL, Lunetta KL, Lyketsos CG, Mains D, Margaret FE, Marson DC, Martin ERR, Martiniuk F, Mash DC, Masliah E, Massman P, Masurkar A, McCormick WC, McCurry SM, McDavid AN, McDonough S, McKee AC, Mesulam M, Miller BL, Miller CA, Miller JW, Montine TJ, Monuki ES, Morris JC, Mukherjee S, Myers AJ, Nguyen T, O'Bryant S, Olichney JM, Ory M, Palmer R, Parisi JE, Paulson HL, Pavlik V, Paydarfar D, Perez V, Peskind E, Petersen RC, Pierce A, Polk M, Poon WW, Potter H, Qu L, Quiceno M, Quinn JF, Raj A, Raskind M, Reiman EM, Reisberg B, Reisch JS, Ringman JM, Roberson ED, Rodriguear M, Rogaeva E, Rosen HJ, Rosenberg RN, Royall DR, Sager MA, Sano M, Saykin AJ, Schneider JA, Schneider LS, Seeley WW, Slifer SH, Small S, Smith AG, Smith JP, Sonnen JA, Spina S, St George-Hyslop P, Stern RA, Stevens AB, Strittmatter SM, Sultzer D, Swerdlow RH, Tanzi RE, Tilson JL, Trojanowski JQ, Troncoso JC, Tsuang DW, Van Deerlin VM, van Eldik LJ, Vance JM, Vardarajan BN, Vassar R, Vinters HV, Vonsattel JP, Weintraub S, Welsh-Bohmer KA, Whitehead PL, Wijsman EM, Wilhelmsen KC, Williams B, Williamson J, Wilms H, Wingo TS, Wisniewski T, Woltjer RL, Woon M, Wright CB, Wu CK, Younkin SG, Yu CE, Yu L, Zhu X, Kunkle BW, Bush WS, Wang LS, Farrer LA, Haines JL, Mayeux R, Pericak-Vance MA, Schellenberg GD, Jun GR, Reitz C, Naj AC. Multi-ancestry genome-wide meta-analysis of 56,241 individuals identifies LRRC4C, LHX5-AS1 and nominates ancestry-specific loci PTPRK , GRB14 , and KIAA0825 as novel risk loci for Alzheimer's disease: the Alzheimer's Disease Genetics Consortium. medRxiv. 2023 Jul 08.View Related Profiles. PMID: 37461624; PMCID: PMC10350126; DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.06.23292311;
     
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