Dr. Thomas Karikari, Ph.D., is an internationally recognized neuroscientist whose work focuses on the discovery, validation, and clinical implementation of biofluid biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease and related neurodegenerative disorders. He serves as an Assistant Professor (tenure stream) in the Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, where he also holds several key leadership positions. 

Dr. Karikari is the Founding Director of the Biofluid Biomarker Laboratory, as well as the Mass Spectrometry Program and the Single Molecule Analytics Program within the Department of Psychiatry. He also serves as Director of the Biomarker and Neurogenetics Core of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and holds the title of Endowed Faculty Fellow in Peripheral Biomarkers for Brain Diseases. In addition, he leads Research Partnerships and Strategic Alliances within the Department of Psychiatry and serves as an Assistant Professor at the Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) at the University of Pittsburgh. Internationally, he is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden. 

At the national level, Dr. Karikari leads the Fluid Biomarker Core of the National Institute on Aging (NIA) Alzheimer’s Program Project Grant, where his research integrates fundamental and translational neuroscience with a strong focus on clinical applications. His work has contributed substantially to the global advancement of blood-based and cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers for neurodegenerative diseases. 

The Karikari Laboratory is dedicated to understanding the biochemical and molecular mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative disorders, with a particular focus on developing biomarkers to improve diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutic evaluation. Leveraging advanced mass spectrometry and immunoassay technologies, his team has pioneered several landmark innovations, including: 

• Development of the first commercially available plasma p-tau181 assay, now widely used worldwide. 
• Creation of assays for plasma p-tau212, p-tau217, and p-tau231. 
• Introduction of a novel plasma brain-derived tau marker that specifically detects tau proteins originating from the central nervous system. 
• Establishment of a streamlined immunoprecipitation–mass spectrometry method for quantifying plasma amyloid beta peptides. 

These biomarkers have undergone extensive validation across diverse clinical and research cohorts and are now routinely used in therapeutic trials, diagnostic workflows, and prognostic evaluations. 

Beyond his scientific innovations, Dr. Karikari has extensive experience in clinical chemistry, laboratory management, standardization of preanalytical and analytical protocols, and the design of simplified, resource-efficient blood collection procedures suitable for both community-based and low-resource research settings. His laboratory oversees large-scale biomarker initiatives involving the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data from thousands of biospecimens. 

Dr. Karikari has also been privileged to contribute to several high-impact international committees that shape global biomarker research and clinical practice, including the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Preferred Product Characteristics for Blood Biomarkers and the Alzheimer’s Association’s working group developing clinical guidelines for blood biomarker utilization. 

In recognition of his groundbreaking work and leadership in Alzheimer’s biomarker research, Dr. Karikari received two of the University of Pittsburgh’s highest honors in 2025: the Senior Vice Chancellor’s Research Seminar Award and the Chancellor’s Distinguished Research Award. These accolades highlight his sustained excellence in research, innovation, and mentorship, as well as his transformative impact on the field of neurodegenerative disease biomarker science.