The Karikari Lab is situated at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospitals, right in the heart of Pittsburgh’s healthcare corridor. Under the leadership of Thomas K. Karikari, Ph.D., a global expert in fluid biomarker assay development and validation, the lab is supported by a multidisciplinary team with a wide range of expertise. It encompasses ample laboratory space and advanced instrumentation to facilitate cutting-edge immunoassays and mass spectrometry experiments.
Our lab’s primary focus is advancing biomarker research for neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease-related dementia (ADRD). We are particularly interested in developing and applying blood-based biomarker assays to detect toxic protein aggregates that contribute to neurodegenerative disorders. We have developed highly sensitive blood biomarkers for amyloid beta peptides and various forms of tau. In collaboration with clinical teams, we have applied these biomarkers to numerous clinical cohorts to evaluate their effectiveness in predicting AD pathologies. Our mission is to provide readily available tools for AD diagnosis and prognosis to a wide range of populations, including minoritized and low-income groups.
We welcome collaborative opportunities to further explore these advancements and extend their applications. Engaging with us offers a chance to contribute to transformative research and improve global healthcare outcomes. For collaboration inquiries and to learn more about our groundbreaking work, please contact us.
Recent Publications
Phospho-tau serine-262 and serine-356 as biomarkers of pre-tangle soluble tau assemblies in Alzheimer’s disease
Tohidul Islam, Emily Hill, Eric E. Abrahamson, Stijn Servaes, Denis S. Smirnov, Xuemei Zeng, Anuradha Sehrawat, Yijun Chen, Przemysław R. Kac, Hlin Kvartsberg, Maria Olsson, Emma Sjons, Fernando Gonzalez-Ortiz, Joseph Therriault, Cécile Tissot, Ivana Del Popolo,...
Novel plasma biomarkers of amyloid plaque pathology and cortical thickness: Evaluation of the NULISA targeted proteomic platform in an ethnically diverse cohort
Xuemei Zeng, Anuradha Sehrawat, Tara K. Lafferty, Yijun Chen, Mahika Rawat, M. Ilyas Kamboh, Victor L. Villemagne, Oscar L. Lopez, Ann D. Cohen, Thomas K. Karikari
Influence of medical conditions on the diagnostic accuracy of plasma p-tau217 and p-tau217/Aβ42
Marcos Olvera-Rojas, Kelsey R. Sewell, Thomas K. Karikari, Haiqing Huang, Lauren E. Oberlin, Xuemei Zeng, Jill K. Morris, Audrey M. Collins, Jermon A. Drake, Bradley P. Sutton, Arthur F. Kramer, Charles H. Hillman, Eric D. Vidoni, Jeffrey M. Burns, M. Ilyas Kamboh,...
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