Navigating Neurological Disease Biomarkers – Progress, Learnings and Future Directions

The landscape of neurological disease research is rapidly evolving, with protein biomarkers playing a pivotal role in enhancing our understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of conditions such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and multiple sclerosis.

While cutting-edge proteomics platforms have enabled significant advancements in the field, challenges remain in translating discoveries into clinical applications. Bridging these gaps requires sharing key learnings from both successes and setbacks as the field advances toward precision medicine.

This virtual panel discussion brings together leading experts from academia and biopharma to explore the latest advancements, challenges, and opportunities in neurological biomarker research and will cover:

• Emerging biomarkers and their impact on diagnosing and treating neurological disease
• Practical strategies for integrating multiplex immunoassay platforms into clinical research, from sample handling to data interpretation
• Combining proteomics with genetics, imaging, and digital health to gain deeper biological insights and accelerate drug development
• Harnessing the power of collaboration between academia, industry, and clinicians to drive innovation

Whether you’re an established researcher or new to the field, this session will provide actionable insights and expert guidance to navigate the rapidly advancing world of neurological biomarkers.

Join this webinar to explore how protein biomarker research is paving the way for precision neurology and transforming patient outcomes.

Speakers

(Moderator) Anne-Li Lind, PhD, Lead Neuroscience, Scientific Affairs, Olink Proteomics (Part of Thermo Fisher Scientific)

Anne-Li Lind, PhD, is the Lead of Neuroscience at Olink Proteomics, where she supports researchers in neurology and psychiatry. Anne-Li received her training in biomedical and neurobiological sciences at Uppsala University and Harvard University. She also gained expertise in chronic pain research models and methods at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Her doctoral and postdoctoral work at Uppsala University focused on biomarker discovery in traumatic brain injury. Part of Anne-Li’s Ph.D. work was conducted in the Ulf Landegren lab, where the Proximity Extension Assay (PEA) was invented, and Olink Proteomics was founded. She joined the global Olink Scientific Affairs team in 2021, supporting investigators in leveraging proteomics to advance precision medicine in neurology.

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Lisa Vermunt, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor, Neurochemistry Laboratory, Amsterdam UMC

Dr. Lisa Vermunt is assistant professor in the Neurochemistry laboratory at Amsterdam UMC. Vermunt’s goal is to advance treatments for Alzheimer disease (AD) by developing biomarkers for the biological signs and track the disease stage. She was a medical doctor and obtained her PhD on studying the timing, selection and endpoints for secondary prevention of AD. During her PhD, she specialized in familial AD, as a model of sporadic AD. During her postdoc she developed reference values for Neurofilament light. She led multiple papers with Amsterdam UMC and Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network (DIAN) collaborators, covering PEA proteomics and GFAP, and other biomarkers. To discover new insight in pathobiology of AD, her next step is to couple proteomics and biomarker research of human body fluid and familial AD cell models. She supervises 5 PhD students. Additionally, she initiated a novel biobank study on neurodegeneration in families (DemenTree) and coordinates the international CORAL network focused on cross-validations and meta-analyses using PEA proteomics in neurology, psychiatry and aging. In 2023, she was rewarded the prestigious Dutch VENI talent grant.

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Pallavi Sachdev, MPH, PhD, Executive Director and Head, Translational Medicine, Eisai Inc.

Dr. Pallavi Sachdev is the Executive Director and Head of Translational Medicine at Eisai Inc. She earned her Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Mount Sinai-New York University School of Medicine and completed her postdoctoral fellowship at The Rockefeller University, focusing on cell signaling networks. Recognized as a subject matter expert in the implementation of clinical biomarkers for precision therapeutics in both neurology and oncology, Dr. Sachdev leverages a 4R-driven biomarker strategy to optimize clinical trial outcomes and drive successful drug development. In recognition of her noteworthy achievements, Dr. Sachdev received the 2021 Rising Star Award from the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (HBA). Her research interests include the application of multiple biomarker modalities, combining fluid-based biomarkers with imaging, genetic, and digital modalities, with a focus on Alzheimer’s disease. Within her group, she has expanded the use of global proteomics to deliver target engagement and treatment response biomarkers for the diverse neurology pipeline. Dr. Sachdev is a champion of pre-competitive collaboration and is an active member of several public/private partnerships and consortia, including DIAN-TU, ADNI PPSB, FNIH AMP-AD, and the CORAL consortium.

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Ahmed Abdelhak, MD, Assistant Professor of Neurology, University of California San Francisco

Dr. Ahmed Abdelhak is a faculty member in the Division of Neuroimmunology and Glial Biology at UCSF. As a neurologist and physician-scientist, he strives to care for individuals with various neurological conditions, with a particular focus on neuroinflammatory diseases. He has obtained his medical degree from Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt followed by Neurology residency training at the University Hospitals of Ulm and Tuebingen in Germany. He joined UCSF as a Post-doc in 2020 (Ari Green’s lab) before transitioning to Faculty in 2023. He has been an enthusiastic advocate for biomarker research for over a decade, ever since the beginning of his scientific career. During this time, he has witnessed the impressive evolution of this field with various new technologies and concepts. Utilizing state-of-the-art analytical platforms, drawing on long clinical experience, and a deep understanding of the technical and biological aspects of protein measurements, he is dedicated to advancing biomarker research and integrating it into individualized patient care. He has established numerous UCSF, national, and international collaborations to advance biomarker research in neurology and beyond.

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